^, 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


// 


L<     ^^ 


1.0 


1.1 


liilM    125 

■50     ^^"       H^H 

■^  U^   12.2 
lAO     1112.0 


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P^i'-^IJ^ 

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6"     

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Photographic 

Sciaices 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WEBSTIR.N.Y.  14580 

(716)  S72-4S03 


\ 


4 


o 


-  <f 


^  >,  '^K\ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  JVIicroreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historlquM 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


Q 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I   Covers  damaged/ 


D 


D 


D 
D 


D 


D 


Couverture  endommag6e 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^  et/ou  pelliculAe 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I     I   Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


|~~|   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
ReliA  avec  d'autres  documents 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  inttrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouttes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  text«, 
mais.  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  it6  filmies. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires: 


The 
toti 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  M  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique.  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite.  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mithode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I     I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurtes  et/ou  pellicultes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxei 
Pages  dicolordes,  tachet^es  ou  piquies 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  inigale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materia 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


r~n  Pages  damaged/ 

I — I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

ryi  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I     I  Pages  detached/ 

rri  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Only  edition  available/ 


Tha 
posi 
ofti 
film 


Orig 

bagi 

the 

sion 

oths 

first 

sion 

or  ill 


The 
shai 
TINI 
whit 

Map 
difffl 
entir 
begii 
righl 
requ 
metl 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totaiement  ou  partlellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  M  filmdes  i  nouveau  de  fa^on  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


J 


12X 


^m 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  fllmad  h«r«  has  b««n  rtproducad  thanks 
to  the  gsnarosity  of: 

Douglas  Library 
Quson's  University 


L'axompiaira  filmi  fut  raproduit  grica  k  la 
gAnArosit*  da: 

Douglas  Library 
Quean's  University 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  beet  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specificationa. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covere  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impree- 
sion,  or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, end  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illuetrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  et 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


j     1 

2 

3 

Lee  imagee  suivsntes  ont  AtA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
do  la  nettet*  de  I'exemplaire  filmA,  et  en 
conformiti  avec  lee  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Lea  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  aet  imprimie  sent  filmis  en  commenpent 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impreeeion  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  las  sutres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableeux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmte  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  11  est  filmA  k  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  geuche,  de  geuche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  an  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagae  nAcesssire.  Les  disgremmes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


32X 


t 

2 

3 

1      4 

5 

6 

*«f%v; 


SOME     FACTS 


AKOI   r 


JOHN  AND  SEBASTIAN  CABOT 


I 


BY 


(j1':()H(;e  pahkkh  wlnship,  a.  m. 


/'-f 


^>l  z. 


120  743^ 


4  -^  >> 


*  a^v 


^f  *  \.h. 


L-tiLAl 


t-i'-   ",   -■   !'■ 


s> 


?w_ 


a- 


■:'f--'-''.K;T'"'t\^-.-ff-V 


mummmmm 


SOME    FACTS 


AHOlIT 


JOHN  AND  SEBASTIAN  CABOT 


BY 


GEORGE  PARKER  W1N8H1P,  A.M. 


KKOli    FROCKKI.l.N.iS  ..K  TllK  AMKHU  AN   ANTI.JIAB.AN  SclKlV,   AT  TllK. 
SKMI-ANNUAL  MKETlNd,  Al'BIL  26,  I'JOO. 


tj-         t 


..■•,         \] 


Worceuter,  P»isis.,  HI.  |l.  ^. 

I'KESS    OF    CIIARLKS    HAMILTON, 
31  1    MAIN    STUEKT. 

1 5)  0  0 


Yin^^"^ 


Kl 
fi 
Iti 
fr 


•%Hai 


SOME  FACTS  ABOUT  JOHN  AND  SEBASTIAN  CABOT. 


A  f'KKW  of  Kiijiriii^li  sailors,  in  the  iiii<lsiiiuni(>r  oi  thv  yvar 
14t»7,  brought  thoir  littU'  craft  up  tlie  Severn  and  ah)n,<<rsi(1e 
one  of  the  ohi  Bristol  wliarves.  In  reply  to  the  "rreetinjars 
of  those  who  woleomed  theuj  home,  thev  announced  that 
thev  had  sailed  throuirh  shoals  of  countless  tish  to  a  land  on 
the  further  side  of  the  North  Atlantic'  Ten  months  later 
their  couunander,  tlu^  Italian  merchant  adventurer  John 
(.'allot,  sailed  awiy  again  from  these  same  Bristol  wharves, 
in  <'harge  of  five  shijis  carrying  ujcn  and  goods  suitable  for 
the  exploration  and  settlement  of  the  western  lands  he  had 
visited  a  rear  before.  Three  or  four  years  after  this, 
in  1502,  an  expedition  was  fitted  out  ])V  some  Bristol 
merchants  and  sent  to  tiie  new  world.  Almost  nothing  is 
known  about  this  adventure, — as  to  why  it  was  projected, 
its  intende<l  destination,  or  what  came  of  it :  but  it  is  a 
reasonal)le  surmise  that  the  expedition  was  sent  to  search 
lor  some   traces  of  the  fleet   which  flohn   Cabot  had  led 


<  Al  ilitto  iiieKHer  Xoanne II  C(iiii|>a|{iii  clii  huiio  quasi  tiitti   iiiKleHii  ut  ila 

HriHtii et  alTcriiianm)  die  ijiiello  mare  <■  vo|ierto  ile  petiHi  li  <|iiali  se  |ir«ii<leiiiio 

noli  Hcilo  cum  la  rete,  ma  cum  Iv  ciste,  e.sHeiiiliih  allit;at<>  uiio  Haxii  ail  i:itt  die  la 
cUta  He  iiii|i(>7.i  in  laqiia,  et  (jueHto  i»  llio  olilito  narrare  al  ilietti  ineHser  /oaiiiu!. 
Kt  (littl  liiKlefli  Hiiiii  c.uuipaKni  ilicimo  die  portaranno  tanti  peagi  die  qiiesto  re):nii 
lion  liavera  piii  liiHocno  >le  iNlamla,  ilel  quale  paege  vene  una  f^ranilisHima  mercantia 
lie  (leHNi  die  Hi  diiainaniio  HtoditlHHi.  From  the  gecoiitl  tlispatdi  reicanlinc  CalKit 
Kent  liy  Raimuiido  di  Sonciiio  to  the  Duke  of  Milan,  datetl  from  r.oniloii,  18  nereiii- 
lier,  HUT,  aH  printed  in  Haukirhe,  ■/.  et  S.  lnhitt,  pp.  3'.>4,  .'fJ6.  It  has  frequently 
Iwen  trauKlated  into  Kni;lish,  and  may  lie  found  in  moHt  modern  ImkiIch  alHiut  the 
<'al)Otg.  There  ig  repeated  evidence  of  the  im|ireHHion  made  upon  the  earlieHt 
Knicliiih  visitorg  liy  the  vast  ghoalH  of  llsh  which  freipiented  the  western  Atlantic 
from  Cape  Cnii  to  Uilirador.  See  imte  /)o»/,p.lO.  The  degcri|itiong  in  I'eter  Martyr, 
ICamiigio,  and  even  in  the  le^endg  to  the  Caliot  1544  map,  were  probably  derived 
from  the  experiences  of  voyaKCs  subsequent  to  this  one  uf  1407. 


H  * 


m 


wttstwiii'd  in  14*.)K,  iind  troiii  wliicli  no  iirw.H  hud  tlioii,  nor 
has  siiH'«\  iMicn  r«M*<'iv(Hl.' 

Kiglity    vj'Hi'M   hittM',    in    l.')8U-«4,    Dr.    .lohn    Dt't^   imd 
Kichiird  llnkhiyt  iindui'took  to  stir  up  tiic  Kurdish  poopic, 

'  TliP  Mtateineiit  in  the  i«intein|M>rury  Crnnhnii  rri/iim  Ainiliir,  that  tli«  H»'«a  of 
14IM  •'(k|>artp<l  from  tlia  Went  Cuntriiy  in  tlt«  liecyniiynK  of  Honinr,  Init  to  tiiin 
|ir«H<>nt  nionrtli  came  nevir  knowl«K«  of  tlioir  exployt,"  iK  hh  true  now  m  wIumi  it 
wan  tirfit  written.  Information  in  reKaril  to  tlie  voyage  of  IMK.'  or  inn,'t  ronNlHtH  at 
prewent  of  little  iHixideM  the  oharterx  which  authorizeil  the  unilertaklnK.  lietterx 
patent  were  granted  hy  Henry  VII.,  dated  10  March,  lf>l)l  'J,  to  three  BriHtol  nicr- 
chanttt— Ward,  AHhehunit  anil  ThoniaH— and  three  I'ortiiKneite  from  the  AzoreH, 
aiitlioriziiiK  them  in  the  umial  terniD  to  venture  whlthenioever  they  pleaned: 
pleuaiii  au  lilMiram  anctorltatem,  facultatem  et  potegtateni  committimiiH  navi- 
Itandl  etse  trauHferendl  ad  omneH  partes,  rcKioncH  et  HneH  MariH  Orientallfi,  Occi- 

dentalig,  AuRtralifi,  Korealia  et  HeptentrionaliH ad  inveniendum,  recu|ieranduni, 

digcoperienilum  et  invegtiKandum  Ingulag,  patriag,  KeKl'uieg  give  provincing  i|uaH- 
cun<|ue  Oentiliiim  et  Intldellum  in  (luacunque  Mundi  parte  iHigitas  quie  ChriMtianiM 
onmilmgante  hiec  tem|H>ra  fuerunt  et  in  pni-Henti  Hunt  incoKnita.  In  the  gimilar 
grant  to  ,lohn  t'abot  and  hig  three  Ninm,  ilated  n  March,  UWi-K,  they  are  given 
authority:  navigandi  ad  onmeg  parteg,  regioneg  et  ginug  marig  Orientalig,  occi- 

denlalix   et   Septentrionalig etc.     Frequent  attention  hag  lieeii  called  to  the 

proliahly  gignittcant  imilggiim  in  the  charter  of  1406  of  permiggion  to  cxphuc 
towardg  the  goiith,  the  region  in  which  Spain  had  already  r<iund  tlie  way  to  her 
new  world  empire.  See  the  text,  carefully  trangliterated  from  the  original  manu- 
gcrlpt,  in  Wkauk,  Cahot's  hiHcnKrru,  pp.  0(1-07.  In  the  draft  of  the  chart<>r  of 
lliOl-'inccurg  the  curiong  paggage,  the  meaning  of  whii^h  hag  lieen  often  discUHged, 
geciiring  t<i  the  Anglo- I'ortuguege  gyndicate  poggeggion  In  whatitver  they  might 
digcover:  "  F't  qu(Ml  nullug. . .    eog  eunim  allquem  de  et  HU|ier  poggeggione  et  titiilo 

Kulg aliqualiter  contra  voluntatem  guam  expellat  quovig  modogeu  aliipiigextra- 

neuH  aut  aliqui  extranel  virtute  aut  colore  allcujus  concegglonig  noHtrii'  gild  Magno 
SigUlo  Nogtro  |ierantea  fai'tJi'."  See  Rit>i>LK,  Meimiir  nf  Sihnnliaii  <V»/«)^,  p.  ;i1k, 
where  thig  chart<>r  wag  Hrgt  printed.  It  ig  a  reagimalile  guppogition  that  the 
gtrangerg  referred  to,  who  had  previougly  received  grantg,  were  the  Cabot  family. 

The  eviilence  that  a  voyage  wag  made  in  accordance  with  thig  patent  uf  \t*r> 
cougigtg  of  an  entry,  under  date  1502,  in  Kahvan'h  i'hrniiivh-,  ag  quoted  liy  .Stow, 
« Itriiiiirif,  lAMl edition,  p.  H75:  "Thyg  yeare  were  brought  vnto  the  Kyng  three  men 
taken  In  the  new  founde  llandg,  by  Sel>agtian  (iabato,  before  named  in  Anno  146H 
[migprinted  for  140H],  thege  men  weret'lothed  in  Keagteggkinneg,Hnd  eate  raw  Klegh, 

Imtgpakeguch  a  language  ag  no  man  could  vndergtaud  them" Thig  evidence 

ig  apparently  contlrmed  by  the  fact  that,  on  !•  hecember,  l.'Mr.',  a  gecond  charter  was 
iggued  to  the  game  pergong,  with  the  addition  of  another  Krigtol  merchant,  Hugh 
Klliott.  The  veiiturerg  returned  »lH)Ut  the  middle  of  Si'ptember,  for  Kernandez 
and  <ioiigalvez  reiteived  pengioim  from  the  Kngligh  thrown  by  a  grant  dated  '.')< 
Septeiul)er,  VitYi.  The  entrieg  in  the  I'rivy  I'lirge  expeiigeg  record  paymentg  on 
24  .S<!pteml>er,  l.'ilK!,  "to  the  merchantH  of  Krigtol  tliat  liave  lieen  in  the  New- 
found-land, CiO";  and  on  '  •laniiary,  1502-3,  "  to  men  of  Krigtol  that  found  the  IhIc, 
£5."  There  ig  algo  a  warrant,  dated  )>  Ueceml)er,  ino.'l,  for  the  payment  of  the 
pengiim  of  £10  yearly  to  each  graiite<l  in  8epteml)er,  1502,  to  Fernandez  anil  (ion- 
galvez,  or  Oiiidigalvug  ag  hig  name  wag  now  gpelt,  "  in  consideration  of  the  true 
servi<;e  they  have  done  to  us  to  our  lingular  jileagure  ag  captaing  unto  the  New 
Found  Land."  Hee  Kea/lev,  Cahiil,  pp.  118-122.  Mr.  Keazley  overlooks  the 
obviuug  poHgibility  that  the  young  Sebagtiaii  Cabot  may  very  likely  have  accom- 
panied Kernandez  or  (iongalvez,  in  gome  minor  gtation.  There  ig  nothing  improba- 
ble in  the  statement  of  Fabyan  that  .Sebaxtian  wag  gelected  to  pregent  the  American 
nativeg  to  the  King. 


M 


\    , 


ft 


K 


then,  iiur 

I)«'o   tiiul 
si)  pooplc, 

Ht    tllH    ll<Tt  of 

ir,  Itiit  til  tlilH 
iw  an  wlii'ii  it 

MKI  ciillNlHtN  at 

kiiiK.    MtterH 

HriHtol  iiirr- 

II  the  AzorrH. 
tliey  |i|i>iuu>il: 
littiiniiH  iiavi- 
lentalU,  Uori- 
eoiiimraiiiliiiii, 
ivincinii  <|iiaH- 
III-  ChrlHtlaniM 

III  the  Klmilar 
hey  are  K'veii 

lentaliH,  A- 

calleil  to  the 
in  til  exploi'i- 
le  way  Ui  her 
irlKinal  inanii- 
she  charter  <if 
ten  illscuMKeil, 
Br  they  might 
liiine  et  titiiln 
ali<|iiiHextra- 
II-  Nilii  MaKnii 

Cilliot,  |(.  .'tin, 
tiiin  that  the 
alMit  family. 
Iiatent  nt  mr> 
ted  liy  Stow, 
mis  tliree  men 

in  Anno  146H 
aterawKleHli, 
riiis  eviileiu-e 
I  rliarter  was 
n-hant,  Hucli 
or  Kernandez 
rant  ilateil  -.ti 
liayinentH  on 

ill  the  New- 
iiunil  the  Idle, 
yment  of  tlie 
ilez  anil  iiun- 
I  of  the  true 
into  the  New 
iverlookM  the 
have  acL-iiur- 
inK  improlia- 
the  Ainerii-an 


iiikI  ospflciiilly  Kii;;liiii(r.s  Virgin  Qiicon,  to  tiiko  an  iiihMvst 
mill  a  sliai'c  in  tli<>  exploitation  of  America.  Ah  the  hasis 
ot'  all  their  ar<;nnieiits,  after  the  olivioiis  opportnnities  for 
a  protitaltle  a<lventure,  they  s(>t  forth  the  fact  that  the 
northern  portions  of  the  continent  lieloii;;o(l  to  Kngland  by 
ri;rht,  liecause  tlu'V  liad  ho«'ii  discovered  by  John  (*abot.' 
Throe  hundred  years  afti-r  this,  in  IMSM,  one  of  the 
.liistices  on  the  bench  of  th(^  Superior  Court  of  the  ('ity 
of  New  York  onlered  th<>  Manhattan  Kluvated  llailroad 
('oin|)aiiy  to  pay  heavy  daina^fes  for  the  depreciation  in 
the  value  of  property  alon;ur  its  linos  on  the  Bowery, 
because  .lohn  Cabot  brou<;ht  the  Kn^lish  civil  law  to  this 
part  of  the  world  before  the  arrival  of  Henry  Hudson,  in 
the  hold  of  whose  vessel  lurked  the  Dutch  Konian  Law.^ 


<  Or,  llee'H  map,  whieli  wiu«  prepared,  apparently,  for  the  eye  of  the  ipieen,  Ik  in 
the  HritiHli  MiiHeiim.  The  only  repnidni-tioii  of  whiidi  I  uiu  aware  In  a  phiitiit;ruphii- 
riipy,  tlie  nize  of  the  original,  made  for  Mr.  Kreil  W.  Uii-aH  of  London,  and  very 
KeneroiiHly  placed  liy  lilni  at  my  dlNpimal.  On  the  liark  of  the  map  in  written :  "  A 
lirief  Keiiieniliiani'e  of  Niindry  foreiii  l(ef;ionB,  IMHciivered,  inhalilted,  and  partly 
<'<ini|iiered  liy  the  Snliiei-tH  of  thlH  HrytiHli  Monari-hie."  Two  of  the  reasoiiN  juNti- 
fyiiiK  theXrltlHli  i-lainian-:    -".'.   Circa  an.  14tU.   Mr  Roliert  Thorn  IiIn  father.aiid 

Mr  Kliot  of  HriHtow  iliNcovereil  Newfownd  Land 4.    Circa  an.  14UT,    SeliaHtiaii 

CalHito,  sent  liy  KliiK  Uenry  tlie  seventh  did  Discover  the  Newfownd  l^iid,  so  far 
alon)!;  and  aluiwt  the  CoastH  next  to  I^alHirador  tyll  he  came  to  the  Latitude  of  .ti'i. 
And  styll  fownd  the  Seas  open  liefore  him."  .\  short  time  before  writing  this,  on 
'JH  Novemlier,  in?',  accordin);  to  his  Diary,  wliich   was  printed  liy  the  Camden 

.Soi^iety  in  lHi2,  Dr.  Dee  >*  Spake  Willi  the  ({iiene  hura  ipiintii declared  to  the 

(tiienit  her  title  to  (Ireenlanil,  l-^tiitilaml,  and  Friselaiid." 

Haklnyt's  "  particiiler   discourse   concerning Westerne    discoiieries"    was 

written  in  iri84,  "at  the  rcqiieste  and  direction  of  tlie  riKhte  worHhipfnII 
Mr  Walter  Kaghly  now  Knight."  It  was  not  printed  until  1H77,  when  Dr.  I^onard 
Woods  and  Charles  Deaiie  edited  it  for  tlie  Maine  Historical  Society.  In  the  third 
cha|iter,  p.  li),  Hakluyt  wrote  that "  the  contries  therefore  of  America  wliere  unto 
we  have  just  title,  as  liein^e  tlrste  discovereit  liy  Sebastian  llabote,  at  the  coste  of 
that  prudent  prince  KiiiKe  Henry  tlie  .Seavepth."  Mr.  Dcane  also  notes,  on  p.  1U4, 
that  "  in  Clia|iter  X  VIII  of  this  Discourse,  Hakhiyt  examines  tlie  title  of  Knf;land 
to  this  territory,  and,  as  will  Ihi  seen,  relies  |iriiicipally  on  the  discovery  by  the 
CabotM."  Tlie  chapter  in  ipieslion  couMins  an  extract  from  Kamusio,  wliich  refers 
to  Cabot's  discovery  of  tlie  .Northwest  passage.  Another  iiistiince  is  referred  to 
in  the  foIlowiiiK  iioti-. 

-  Tlie  ilecision  of  .liisticc  C.  H.  Triiax  in  tlie  case  of  .Mortimer  i-t  ill.  r.  New  Vork 
Klevated  Itailroad  Coni|iany  il  <il.,  which  was  recalled  to  my  notice  by  Dr.  K.  C. 
Kalicock  of  the  I'niversity  of  California,  is  in  the  Itvimrts  itf  Cimm  in  tlif  Sniurinv 
('iiurl  iif  llif  i'ilij  <^l'  yi'ir  Yink.—  S'fir  Yurk,  1S90,  \\\.  (Jiiiii'h  iinil  .S'//p;(cfC,  xxv.) 
■J!r>a-'S'\.  It  appears  that  the  counsel  for  tlie  Klevated  eonipaiiies  had  lieen  in  the 
habit  of  pleading,  in  suits  for  damages  brought  by  owners  of  property  alonii;  the 
lines  of  the  Klevated  structure,  tliat  prior  to  liHl4  tlie  land  of  the  Howery  street 
was  owned  absolutely  in  fee  by  the  Dutch  government  of  .Manhattan  island.  It 
would  seem  as  if  the  court  made  up  its  mind  to  produce  a  decision  wliich  should 


Ill  tlic  siiiiiiiKM'  ot'  14i)7,  when  .Fnliii  ('uIhi(  nunc  liiick 
troiii  liiw  sin'ccsst'iil  wt'Hhvard  vnviijrr,  tlirn'  \v«>n»  si'vciwl 
Itnliiui  iiixl  Spaiiisli  ;;«>iitl(>iii(Mi,  liipldiimtir  H;r*'iitN  mid 
iK'tivo,  iiitolli^rpiit  ni(M'flitiiitr«,  rtvxi«liii^r  in  Kii;rlHii<l.  'I'licsc 
jrnitlonuMi  Imu'tl  tlic  news  of  the  town,  iiiid  \\wy  prtiinptly 
(It'spiitfluMi  to  tlu'ir  iniiMttM-s,  ptitroiH  iiikI  brctliron,  Icttvi'H 
contniniii*;  lon<;  lU'connts  ot'  the  stoi'ios  wliicli  \V(>r<>  rircii- 
lii(iii<;  in  i-cpird  to  tlir  iit'W  iliHcovcn',  luid  ot°  their  I't't'orts 
to  loiirn  tlu'  truth  in  rcpird  tliiM'cto.  'l'h('N«>  h'ttn-M  wn'iv 
tiled  Hwtiv  in  <ln<>  «-oiit's«>  in  tin*  pnblir  iind  priviitc  urciiives 
at  Seville,  Veni»'«'  mid  Milan,  when'  tliev  awaited  the 
eiirioiis  vesean'heH  ot'  modern  historic-al  inveHti<rHtors.' 

•lohn  Cabot  disappeared  t'i'oin  si<rht  in  14!tK,  Itut  he  lett 
hehind  him  a  mom,  Sehastian,  who  talked  freelv,  and  |)er- 
haps  not  always  discreetly,  aliout  his  own  and  his  father's 
exploits.      The   men    who    knew    Sehastian    personally — 


put  iiii  t'liil  til  tlilK  viT.v  iMitlierHoiiif  iiriciiimMit.  .IiiiIk>>  Trniix  Htiiti'il  timt  "  llit- 
KiiKliNli  itlwit.vM  rlitlineil  tlilH  ixirtinii  nf  N'lirtli  AintM'li'ii  Ity  riiclit  of  jirlnr  iliHciivt-iy 

iif  tlilx  riinntry  liy  .liilin  mill  St*liii)itiiin  Ciiliiit Tin*  KiikIIhIi  rliiiiiifti,  iinil  Iivkiiii 

til  I'laiin  Hliurtly  itftcr  tlilM  time,  that  till- ('alH)ts  liiiil  vImIihiI  the  whiile  i-aaHt  rriiiii 
Kliirlila  ii|i  t4i  l^kliniiliir":  the  rlti'il  aiitliority  Ih*Iiii;  Kilwaril  liaycH'  ari'imiit  nf 
OillH>rt'M  vitya^cc,  written  ill  iriM.'!  anil  riijiiiMl  rriiiii  llakliiyt  In  I'ayne;  Hlhiilielhnn 
Srdiiiiii.  ■■  III  HIM  SelLiHtlaii  Caliiit  Haileil  weNlMaril  until  lie  eaiiie  tii  what  Ih  now 
.Newriiiinillanil.  Kroin  there  he  iirueeeileil  tn  the  nmililaiiil,  niaile  Hevenil  laiiilln):H, 
dealt  with  the  iiativeH,  anil  rollnweil  the  riuiHt  miiithwaril,  |iriilialtly  aH  far  an  Chesa- 
peake Hay."  Kaneriift,  \aleiitllie'N  //m^ki/ ii/' .Vcir  )«(•*,  anil  llarrlit's,  I'ltfinijis. 
17or>.  Sii|i|ileiiieiit;iry  aiitlinrltieM  rlteil  are  l,iMMlni:'N  Hmiirhiiaiiliii,  UiilH>rt><  in 
the  Aiiierlean  Coiiiiiinnuealth  HerieH,  Keriiiiw  In  the  Siiiiiilhrmiil  l'iiHrii(  llinlni'i/, 
Mr.  Oeraril  in  IiIh  THIih  In  llinl  Ksl,il<, ani\  the  Siiprenie  Cnnrtur  the  I'nlted  Ht4iles 
In  Miiiiiii  r.  Ifiiilili'll,  111  Peters, -tax, 

'  It  is  must  unlikely  that  the  few  letters  whli'li  have  lieen  liriintcht  to  ll|;lit  iliiriiic 
the  last  lll'ty  years  are  all  that  were  written  almnt  the  Calmt  iliseiivery  In  the 
aiitiiiun  iif  14!I7.  Of  tile  letters  iiiiw  kiinwii,  that  nl'  Liirenzii  l'asi|iiali|!i>  to  his 
lii'iithers  in  Venlee,  ilateil  in  Liiiiiliin,  J.'i  Anifiist,  141)7,  was  Hi'st  prinleii.  In  Italian, 
In  Im;i7,  anil  in  KukIIsIi  In  l)Ci<i:  tlie  illsiiati'll  of  Itaiiniiniln  ill  .Snneinu  to  the  puke 
lit  .Milan,  ilaleil  '.'4  .VUKUsi,  14!I7,  was  tirsi  |iriiiieil  in  KncHxli  in  t>'*'^<  anil  in  lljiliaii, 
saiil  tn  lie  tniiislateii  rnun  the  earlier  Kiimlish  verHinli.  In  ISMi:  aiiulher  ilisiMttrli 
froni  Siini'liiii  tu  Milan,  dated  is  Oeeenilier,  141)7,  was  |irliitvil  In  Italian  in  ixutl,  and 
translated  into  Kni;lish  liy  I'ri'fessor  Xasli,  fur  WInsiir's,  Xnnnlirr  iiiiil  rrllhiil 
//i.i/<(;'(/,  ill  1H84;  u  repiirt  liy  redm  ile  A.vala  ti>  the  M|>miiIsIi  i;iiveriinient,  tluteil  •J.'i 
fliily,  14!)M,  tiitcether  with  the  enveriii);  dispateh  liy  Ayala's  siiperiiir,  Itny  Oiinxales 
lie  I'lielila,  wax  tirst  deeiphered  and  turned  into  Kiicllsli  in  IHii'j,  and  a  Spanish  te.\t, 
presiimahly  wnrked  out  rroiii  the  nriKinul  elpher  dispateh,  was  printed  in  IKH'.;; 
there  is  rei'iird  of  an  earlier  dispateh  froiu  Ooiiiuiles  ile  I'lielila  to  bVrdinand  ami 
Isaliella.  dated '.'1  ,lamiary,  14U0,  in  whh'h  he  inentiuiied  Caliot,  Imt  thin  doiuiuvat 
lias  nut  yet  h«eu  fiiuiul. 


I  J 


■M 


P«<t(tr  MiM'tyr  of  Aiif^loriii,  KraiiciNc<»  (loiiiiiru,  (ii(»viiiiiii 
liiiiiiiiNio  and  Kicluiril  K<I«mi — roconitul  in  tlioir  pultliHluMl 
voliiincN  tln'  inipri'MHinnH  which  tht^y  iwoivod  from  th»>ir 
convorsutionM  with  him.  Somo  of  tlit^Mo  convc^rMationM,  we 
hav(>  rtNiNon  lo  HU^4|H>t>t,  were  hold  over  th««  nuts  and  niiMins 
i>f  a  ffood  <linn(M' ;  otiicrs  took  placo,  w(>  know,  in  tho 
(•oin',s«>  of  so«-iul  rliat  at  a  housii  party  in  Nortliorn  Itnlv  ; 
.still  othci'H  W(!  may  fancy  on  tlio  comfortahU*  IkmicIics  of 
Hoiiuf   chpoi'V    Spanish   ta|>-room.'      A   ccrtnin  amount  of 


■  llalinimili)  ill  Hoiit'lnn'M  (lKlit;litriil  iiroiiunt,  at  the  end  iif  liiii  lleceiiilier,  UWl, 
It'ttHr,  rttroiiiitliiK  wliiit  Iih  tiitil  roiiiiil  nut  iilMiiit  Jiiliii  CiilHit'N  plaiiH,  In  printed  In 
uioHt  iHMilcNiilHiiit  < 'allot.  He  ti-llH  iif  tli«  ten  uiid  twelve  ('(iiirNe  dInnerN,  keepInK 
liliii  lit  tikblu  three  liiiiirii  itl  ii  Htretrh,  which  he  wiin  iihllKed  to  unilnre  In  order  to 
Hnil  out  what  hlH  iiuutter  wInIibiI  to  know.  The  tuntullzlnic  "  eonventutUm  with  iin 
itiioiiyiiiouR  KneMt  ut  the  lioiiite  of  HIeronlmo  Krni'iuitor  "  ut  Citphl  near  yerona,  In 
In  the  Itritt  volnnie  of  lUniniiln'ft  rollm-thm  of  ViiyaKex,  II.  414  It  -  4in  A.  It  han 
Iteen  diHeilNHed  more  ulalioratel.v,  and  with  leitM  appreciation  of  the  actual  value  of 
the  Inforniatlon  alTordeil,  than  any  other  HlUKle  pleoe  of  (^alMitian  literature.  Ah  I 
have  Haid  In  my  i'uhol  HUiliiHjmiihii,  p.  Mi;  theiityle  In  which  tlilH  convemathin  Ih 
recorded,  the  apparently  direct  perHonal  IntereiiurNe  iMitwuen  the  HevernI  comniunl- 
cantH  or  the  Inronnatlon,  the  UMe  iif  the  rhetorical  present  teuHe  which  veeniH  to 
Klve  the  exact  woriU  imed  liy  Ciiliot,  the  evident  reiipuctahillty  and  authority  of  the 
unnamed  gentleman,  and  even  the  oNtentatiiniH  dlHavowal  of  any  preteuHlium  to 
exact  recollection— all  theite  tend  tii  olwciire  the  almolnte  unrellaldllty  of  the 
entire  piutHaKe.  The  IwiiKth  »t  time  that  had  elapHed,  tlie  alwenre  of  anythliiK  that 
mlieht  have  Hxcd  the  Hpei'lHc  detallH  clearly  in  the  memory,  the  very  eminence  of 
indlvldualH  which  has  HO  orten  lieeii  held  to  rellnve  them  from  the  neceMHity  of 
detailed  exactneHH,  the  cHHential  levity  of  the  occiihIou  when  ItamiiHlo  received  the 
iiiforinatlon,  all  theHc  coiiHlderatlonH  need  to  li«  kept  clearly  hi  mind,  toiiether  with 
the  moHt  Important  factor  all,  that  I'aliot.,  the  Mantiian  gentleman,  and  ItamuHlo, 
were  each,  on  every  iH'canlon  wlieii  the  inronnatlon  wan  tranHinitteii,  cliietly 
liitereHteil  in  HomethiiiK -the  lieHt  way  ro  reach  tlie  Spice  Litnds  rroin  Kiirope— 
which  iiail  only  the  Hil|{hteHt  connection  with  tlie  iletailH  about  SeliaHtlan'H  birth- 
place, IiIh  Hhare  in  the  voyage  or  141)7,  and  tlie  otiier  <'abotian  ipieHtloiiH  over  whicli 
modern  liiHtorical  conlroverHieH  liavc  rap-d. 

Another  Klimpne  or  Hociiil  lire,  on  the  oiitHkirtH  nf  the  SpaiilHli  C'ourt,  Ih  alTorded 
liy  OaNpar  Contarlni'H  iettein  to  the  Touiicil  <ir  Ten  at  yunlce,  written  iuiri'j-Jand 
l,'i';:i,  in  which  he  tells  or  tryiiiK  to  ttnd  out  whether  SebitHtlaii  Cabot  wan  in  attend- 
ance on  the  court  at  Valladolid,  and  where  he  wan  living,  and  or  Cabot'H  HuliHeiiuent 
call  npiui  him,  while  lie  waH  at  dinner  on  ChrlHtinaH  Kve,  t'ontarinrfi  lettern  have 
lieen  trannlated  into  Kntclinh  by  Sir  rieiuentH  Markhaiu,  ror  the  llakluyt  Society, 
and  may  Ih-  coiiHUlted  in  Mr.  lUyiuonil  ltea/.ley'H  t'abnt  volume  In  the  HcrieH  or 
•'  HulhleiH  or  (ireater  Kritaln." 

ItamuHlo  correeiHinded  with  .SeliaHtlan  <'alH>t  in  regard  to  curtain  );eoKra|diical 
qneHthmH,  and  alHo,  In  all  probability,  about  Home  property  naiil  to  have  been  lert 
by  t'abot'H  mother,  the  Hettlement  or  which  waH  entruHted  l<y  the  yenetlan  Council 
of  Ten  to  ItiimiiHlo  (nee  note  imut,  p.  14).  Peter  Martyr  (nee  note  1  iiitnt,  p.  IH), 
andOomara  were  iMith  euKaced  in  diitieH  aliout  the  SpanlHh  <'onrt  ror  neveral  yearH 
when  Calwt  wa«  in  the  .Spanlnli  Hervh'e.  All  or  Kden'H  liookH  contain  evidence  or 
hiH  intimate  aiujualntance  with  the  "  woortliy  uwlde  man  yet  lyuluK  Sebastian 
catH>te,"  at  whose  deatbbvd  heattended. 


(■<>nfu.si(>ii  resulted  in  the  sul).se«|uent  recollections.' 
Toward  the  end  of  the  fifte«'nth  century.  Richard  IlakliMt 
noticed  tiiis  la«'k  of  a<rreenient  in  the  piiMished  sources  of 
information  alxuit  Cabot,  and  when  lie  set  about  the 
|)rc|)aratioii  of  his  great  ('ollection  of  Vovages,  one  of  his 
tii'st  tasks  was  an  attenipt  to  strai<rhten  out  these  contru- 
dictorv  narratives.  He  was  misled  into  several  erroneous 
stati'inents  at  first,  but  in  the  end  he  succeeded  in  Knding 
out  vei'v  nearly  what  we  now  recognize  as  the  truth  in 
regai'd  to  the  Knglish  discovery  of  America.  Tlie  important 
facts  are  stated  by  Ilakluyt,  in  lu'arly  ivory  instance  cor- 
rectly."^    For   a    hundred   and    fifty    years    there    was   no 


I 


I 


■  Tli«  lifNt  iP'iKtration  of  tJiiH  coiifiiNiiin  In  in  liuniiiHio's  leiiort  of  th!>  t'onverfm- 
tioii  at  Cii|ilii,  [{iiimisiii  wrote  tliut  M»  iiil'iiniiiiiit  i|iii>tt>(l  Selmstiiiii  as  HH.viiii; 
tliat  IiIh  father,  .liilin  Culiot,  ilieil  alioiit  the  tune  that  the  Kntilish  court  li«|;»ii 
to  iliHciiHH  the  iiewH  of  ('ohiiiihiiH'n  iliHcovery,  aii<l  that  as  he  felt  a  ilenire  to  achieve 
soiiietliiiii;  e<|iiall.v  ^reat,  he  indueed  Henry  VII.  to  fiirniKli  him  with  two  Hiiiall 
HhipH,  with  which  in  the  early  snninier  of  14!Ni,  he  followed  the  American  coast 
northward  to  r>*P  wliere  it  turned  t^iward  the  east,  and  that  he  thence  turned 
hack  and  sailed  <lown  the  coast  as  far  as  KUirida.  Ileturnint;  to  Kntdaiid,  he  found 
the  country  in  the  throes  of  civil  relielliou  and  war  with  Scotland,  so  that  he 
offered  his  services  to  Ferdinanil  and  IsalHdIa,  who  sent  him  on  a  voyage  of  dis- 
covery to  the  coast  of  Ifrazil.  It  is  supposed  that  this  last  sentence  (Contains 
references  to  I'erkin  WarlM'ck's  relielliou  in  .lune,  14!)7;  to  the  truce  with  •lames 
IV.  of  Scotland  in  .Septemher  4if  the  same  year;  to  Sehastian's  arctic  expedition 
of  vm;  to  his  employment  liy  Kerdinand  of  Spain,  Isabella  havintj;  died  in  ViUi, 
in  l.'il'.;;  and  his  voyajfe  to  l.a  I'lat^i  in  iri'.'il.  It  is  comparatively  easy  to  under- 
stand liow  this  I'onfusion  arose:  it  is  far  nior(>  diHIcnlt  to  understand  how  men 
of  ('(msideralde  historical  reputations  have  lonvinced  themselves  that  this 
narrative  is  an  important  source  whence  thev  nii);ht  derive  exact  and  accurate 
Information. 

<  In  his  /Jiiv'/'s  rtiiiiii/fii,  imprinted  at  I,(uuhui  in  l.'iS'j,  Hakluyt  piililislied  the 
I.etters  I'atent  of  fi  March,  14!l.'i-li  (misprinted  Ifl'.M  in  the  side-note  to  the  Kn;;lish 
translation);  the  "  note  out  of  Kaliyau"  referrinji  correctly  to  the  U!W  voyage  and 
ro  tlie  three  sava)i;cs  presented  to  the  Kiu);  in  t'lli'J:  and  liamusio's  abstract  of  a 
letter  from  Sebastian  <'alH>t  rei;ardint;  his  voyage  to  li'.^  nortli:  together  with  the 
iniportiint  informatiini  that  <abot's  papers  were  then  extJint  in  the  possession  of 
William  WorthinKton.  In  addition  to  these  documents  and  extracts,  he  printed  in 
the  I'liiiriiiiill  .\iiiiiiiili(iiis  of  l.Wt  an  abstract  of  the  |iatent  jrmnted  by  theKinic 
in  Kelu'uary,  14'.)s,  the  text  of  which  was  not  recovered  until  Kiddle  published  it  in 
1k:i|,  tliereby  proviu);  the  probability  tliat  there  was  a  Cabot  voyage  imnu'diately 
following!;  the  discovery;  an  extract  friun  the  <'abot  map,  ifivini;  the  date  U'.H  for 
tlu>  discovery;  tlie  cimversation  with  liamusio's  aniuiymous  );entlenian;  the 
a nuts  of  Cabot's  .\rctic  Voyaue,  written  by  I'eter  Martyr  ami  <ioniara;  anil  tin- 
account  of  the  vova|;e  of  Cabot  and  I'ert  in  irdO.  In  the  "note  out  of  Kabyan," 
the  text  is  I'orrected  by  in.sertint;  the  name  of  .lohn  Cabot  as  the  leader  of  the 
expvilition,  altlioU);h  in  tliis  aiiil  also  in  the  cnlaru;eil  edition  of  ItUMI,  the  name  of 
.Seb;istiaii  is  carelessly  retained  in  the  headiu):.  These  passages  are  all  reprinted 
in  the  tliird  volume  of  the  I'of/iij/f.s,  piiblisheil  in  llilNI,  with  the  I'orrectiou  of  the 
date  to  14U7  in  the  extract  from  the  Cabot  1M4  map,    Hakluyt  diil  imt  pretend  tu 


X. 


\. 


n'('<>lle<'tion.s.' 
icliai'd  Ilukliivt 
■ilied  sources  of 

sot  about  the 
i<r«'s.  Olio  of  Ills 
l  tlioso  coiitru- 
voral  oiToiioous 
'dod  ill  Kii<liii<:- 
is  tlio  truth   in 

'I'lio  iiuportniit 
y  iiistaiico  «'or- 

tlioro    was   no 

pint  111'  tlip  ciiiiversii- 

SeliiiKtiini  iiH  Mayiiii; 

KntriiKli  ciiiirt  li«);i)ii 
(It  utIcNiro  to  iK'hit'vt- 

him  with  two  small 
I  tlio  American  coiist 
at  he  thence  tnineil 
to  KnKlaiiil,  he  foiiiiil 

St-otliinil,  Ko  that  he 
I  on  a  voyage  of  iMh- 
i8t  Neiitencc  itontainn 
the  truce  with  .laniex 
n'N  arctic  expedition 

having  ilieil  in  intH, 
lively  easy  to  nniler- 
nn<ler8tan<l  how  men 
hcmselves    that    this 

exact  and  accnrate 

ikinyt  piililislied  the 
i>-note  to  the  Kn^lish 
I  the  14ilK  voyane  and 
nusio's  abstract  of  a 
li;  toKetln-r  witli  the 
in  the  posseifHioii  ol' 
\ tracts,  he  printed  in 
;rninted  by  the  Kinjr 
iddle  published  it  in 
vo,\ai;e  immediately 
in^  the  date  U'M  lor 
ons  K:entleman:  the 
mil  <iomara:  and  the 
ote  out  of  Kabyan." 
IIS  tile  leader  ol'  the 
of  DUMI,  the  name  of 
tes  are  all  reprinted 
he  correction  of  the 
'  dill  not  pretend  tu 


9 


occiisioii  to  f|uostioii  tlio  aocuraov  of  tlio  faots  as  plaood  on 
rocoid  l>y  lltikliivt. 

In  17'»;{,  tlio  British  Coininissionors  appointotl  to  confor 
with  tlio  Froiioh  roprosontativos,  in  aooordaiioo  with  tlio 
Troatv  of  I'trooht,  drew  up  a  plain,  straijrhtforward  stato- 
iiioiit  of  facts  upon  wliicli,  l)_v  tlio  riulit  of  discovorv, 
Kiiji'laiid  hiisod  her  claim  to  North  American  torritorv. 
Thcv  sot  out,  clearly  and  without  thought  of  <>uilo,  so  far 
as  can  lio  judjrcd,  the  facts  in  roirard  to  tho  discovory  made 
l»y  .loliii  ('allot  in  14!)7.  Their  report  was  based  merely, 
and  oiitii'oly,  upon  llakluyt  and  the  authors  whom  Hakluyt 
had  used.  The  fju'ts  as  i>ivoii  in  this  report  arc  the  facts 
which,  after  another  century  and  a  half  of  prolon<>«'d 
interest  in  Cabotian  probh^ms,  are  now  tlioiijiht  to  bo  the 
actual  truth  as  to  .lolin  Cabot's  achievements.  A  careful 
roexaminatioii  of  the  rojiort  reveals  almost  nothinji'  which 
has  since  been  proven  to  bo  untrue  in  connection  with  the 
discovory  of  14!t7.  In  reply  to  this  Memoir,  however, 
the  French  ('omniissioiuMs.  in  IT.'iT,  published  some 
Komarks,  in  the  form  of  a  commentary,  which  are  a  model 
of  diplomatic  arji'uiiientation  and  lo<>ical  subtleties. 
Makinji'  use  of  all  the  devices  of  arjiumentatioii  and 
sophistical  Ionic,  th(>  Freiichmcii  pointed  out  that  there 
are  conflictiiiii:  statements  in  regard  to  what  .bdiii  Cabot 
attually  accoiiiplislHMl.  They  oliservcd  that  tlu^  various 
early  treatises  do  not  always  ajireo  in  the  date  ot  the 
discovory.  They  made  much  of  the  fact  that  there  is 
lonfiision  in  some  of  the  narratives  in  assii>iiinii'  the  credit 
lor  the  successful  voyaii'c  to  .Foliii  or  to  Sebastian.  In 
brief,  the  French  nciiotiators   undertook   to  depreciate  the 


val 


no    ai 


id    the    effect    of    the    Kiiulish    ar<>umoiit.     Thev 


siicceoc 


led, 


as 


V 


roiiclimon    ai 


e    apt    to    succeed,    and    the 


reader  of  their  commontarv  Hnisluvs  it  with  a  strong  im- 


|iro\  iilc  a  I'oniiertcil  narrative  in  any  of  his  publications,  liut  he  merely  set  lortli 
till'  souri'cs  of  iuforuiation  as  he  I'oiind  them,  editing  them  so  as  to  assist  the 
reader,  and,  as  will  lie  seen  in  asuliseiiiient  note,  ixisl,  p.  lt<,correittnn  errors  which 
seemed  to  Uini  oln  iiius. 


I 


10 


I 


i   I 


pression  tlmt  evcrvthiiijr  is  oxactlj  the  revcrsr  of  what  the 
Kiif^lishiiU'ii  had  said  it  was.' 

Tlio  worii  of  ti)e  Froiu'ii  diplomats  of  1757   naturally 
met   with    approval   on  the  (-ontinent.      French  historical 


I  Til  ret'  voliiiiii'N  of  Mm  .)/<'/«  »i  ir«  rfcs  ComiiiinHiiircH Siir  Irs  /'Odocn.s/o/w  •(■ 

li:i  ilroil.1  rrnj)i'rli/s  ilfs  ileii.r  ('iHiriiiiiK'x  <•/>  .liiii'fii/iH'  were  \)rii\ti'<i  in  1T65,  uiiil,  in 
several  eilitiidw,  are  fretiiiently  met  witli.  Tlie  fourth  viilnnie,  tlie  Caliotiiin 
interest  of  wliicli  whh  l>ron);lit  to  my  attention  li.v  Mr.  Henry  N.  Stevens  of  Ijonilon, 
was  pnliliHliecl  in  1757,  anil  is  founil  only  in  the  original  ottlcial  Kreneh  quarto 
eilition.  This  volume  containN  the  "  Seeoiul  Menuiire  iles  com  missal  res  AukIoIs, 
Snr  les  I.imites  <le  I'Aeailie,  On  'iii  .lanvier,  nrwi.  Avee  Les  Oliservatiuns  <les 
('onnulHsaires  iln  Roi,  en  Reponse."  This  is  Hi|;ne(l,  p.  513,  at  "  Paris,  '2:u\  .lanuary, 
175.'(,"  liy  Mlldmay,  Kuvl|;ny,  ile  <'oHne:  ami  the  Kreneh  ciunmentary  is,  p.  538, 
"  Kait  ii  I'aris  le  jireniler  jnin  mil  sept  eent  <'ini|nante-six.  Si(;n<'  Oe  Silhouette." 
The  reuiaiiuler  of  the  volume,  pp.  53<.l-ri54,  is  oeeupieil  liy  a  list  of  authorities  eiteil 
by  the  Ku^lish  (uunmisslimors  and  illustrative  ihx'uments  atlileil  liy  the  French 
represcntiitives  Article  XXIV.,  pp.  45t(-470,  is  a  reply  hy  the  KUKliHh  shie  to 
the  "  historh'al  summary  .Xi^count  of  the  first  Voyat;t!8  niaiie  hy  the  Knpiligh 
anil  French  for  the  Hisciivery  ami  .Settlement  of  North-Ameru'a,"  which 
foruuMi  part  of  the  lirst  French  .Mcmoire,  in  this  oftlcial  edition,  1755,  vol.  I., 
pp.  Ili-:i7.  Several  par.it:raphs  in  this  Article  are  devoted  to  estahlisliinK  the  sIk- 
nilicauce  of  the  discovery  made  in  14'.>7  liy  ,Fohn  Caliot,  a  Venetian  in  the  service  of 

Kntilauil,  a mjianied  liy  Joint  Adventurers,  native  Subjects  and  Merchants  of 

Knt:land.  "  It  is  admitted  that  Ku^land  did  not  set  a  jireat  value  at  tirst  upon  the 
discovery  made  in  14U7,  nor  was  it  for  many  years  carried  any  farther."  It  is  shown 
that  the  north-west  pa.ssa^e  is  not  so  much  as  mentioned  in  the  conimission  under 
which  Cabot  sailed,  and  the  discovery  is  claimed  to  confer  a  rlKlit  to  the  territory 
from  Florida  to.'iK  '  northern  latitude.  In  their  oliservations,  pp.  470-4!)(S,  the  French 
commissioners  lie);in  by  disciissin);  the  navigation  and  discoveries  of  Sebastian 
Cabot,  wliiisc  name  was  not  mentioned  by  the  Kn):lislinien.  They  then  proceed; 
"(In  pi'ut.avcc  raison,  clever  plus  iTun  dimte,  tant  sur  I'cpoipu'  de  ce  voyage  i|ue 
sur  les  tern's  iju'iin  pri'teud  avoir  etc  aperviles  par  Cabot  dans  le  coiirs  de  sa 
navi|;atiiiii.  I'eut-ctre  nicnie  n'est-ilpas  liien  certain  ipril  suit  le  premier  ipii  les 
ait  di'iiiuvertes,  Four  se  former  de  justes  iilcessur  cettc  inaticre,  il  est  iiccessaire 
de  discuter  les  dilTcrenti's  pieces  it  le.-  dilfcreutes  autoritcs."  The  spirit  in  which 
they  went  about  their  examination  is  admirably  shown  by  the  very  Hrst  arKiinient. 
The  authorities,  they  say,  are  collected  by  Makluyt  in  his  third  volume,  in  the 
section  which  is  entitled  '•  Voya^tes,  etc.  (intended  for  the  tindini;  of  a  Northwest 
pasNa);e)  to  the  North  parts  of  .Xmerica,  to  Meta  iiicii)iuiui,  and  the  baike-side  of 
lironland,  as  farre  as  7'-'  decrees  and  12  niiniits;  performed  hrst  by  Sebastian 
Cabota  — "  "  Ce  titre  n'aiinouie  le  voyajje  de  Cabot,  que  ciimiue  un  pro  jet  de 
navitiation  pour  ilccouvrir  le  passat;e  du  nord-oiiest,  \  noii  coinnie  un  projet  pour 
etablir  lies  colonies  dans  de  nouvelles  terres;"— as  if  llakluyt's  heading;  settled  the 
whole  question.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  as  will  1h'  seen,  the  statements  in  *hv  headiun 
are  probably  exactly  true,  becan.xe  an  arctic  vovap?  was  made  by  .Sebastian, 
allhoii)ili  neither  Ilakluyt  nor  the  ne;rotiators  of  IT.Vi  were  aware  of  it.  This 
titular  argument  is  followed  by  one  even  more  curious  and  inp;eniou«,  to  wit,  that 
the  abstract  of  tlie  Letters  ratent  of  :)  February,  14it7-«,  ■'apprcnil  deux  fails 
iniportans;  le  premier,  qu'eii  14!W,  ,Iean  Cabot,  pcre  ile  Scliastieu  Caliot,  n'etait 
point  encore  niort:  Ic  second,  que  Cabot  u'avoit  point  abanilinnie  I'ldee  de  son 
projet,  ma  is  qu'il  ne  I'avoit  pas  encore  exi'cute  an  commencement  de  141W;  que  par 
cous('i|uent  on  n'en  pent  placer  la  date,  ni  en  14iHi.  ni  en  14!»7."  Tliese  two  illustra- 
tions fairly  re|iresi'nt  the  skilful  iUKeiiuity  with  which  the  next  twenty  pai;e8  of 
the  volume  are  tilled. 


I 


I     iiiihUldiini    iiwiaailW- 


MMM 


"t;!\.« 


t'l'sf  of  what  the 

£  17o7   imtumlly 
Freiu'li  historical 


.  Siir  Irs  t'onnrnniiniM  <f- 
'  priiitod  in  ITSn,  uiiil,  in 

voliiiiie,  the  Caliotiiiii 
y  N.  Stevens  of  Ij<miliin, 
1  oftieiiil  Krench  qiiartii 
I  L'oniniiHHUireH  AnKloiH, 
3  I.e«  (M)8ervations  des 
at  "  I'aris,  ZM  January, 

commentary  is,  p.  NIX, 
.    Slune  l>e  Hillioiiette." 

list  of  suitliorities  eiteil 
s  added  1)y  tlie  Frencli 
l>y  tlie  Kn|;liRli  side  to 
8  made  by  Mie  Knclisli 
fortli-Amerira,"  wliicli 
al  edition,  1755,  vol.  I., 
to  estainisliint;  the  sit;- 
enetian  in  the  service  of 
>.1e('ts  and  Merchants  of 

value  at  tirst  upiui  the 
iiy  farther."  It  is  shown 
I  the  commission  under 
a  ritjht  to  the  territory 
*,  pp.  47il-4!HJ,  the  French 
liscoveries  of  Seliastian 
■n.  They  then  proceed; 
'poque  de  ce  voyajre  que 
ot  dan.4  le  cours  <lc  sa 

il  soit  le  |>remier  <|ui  les 
iiiaticre,  il  est  nccessaire 
■s."  The  spirit  in  which 
the  very  Hrst  arKumeiit. 
is  third  volume,  in  the 

ttudin;;  of  a  Northwest 
a,  and  the  hacke-siile  of 
-meil  first  liy  .Seliastian 
le  ('(unnic  nn  projet  de 
in  coninie  un  pmjet  pour 
lyfs  headint:  settled  the 
atements  in  Mie  heading 
vas  made  by  .Sebastian, 
vere  aware  of  it.  This 
1  inKenioiifi,  to  wit,  thai 
X,  •'apprcnil  deux  fails 
Scbastlen  Cabot,  n'etait 
ibandonni'  I'idee  de  son 
icement  de  14!IH ;  i|ue  par 
07."  These  two  illustra- 
le  next  twenty  pajtes  of 


•M 


11 


writers  and  inaktM-s  of  biographical  dictionaries  ])atriotically 
took  ii|>  the  work,  and  <rave  wIcUm'  circulation  to  tlie  vitnvs, 
positivt^  and  negative,  set  forth  in  this  historical  coup  d'Hal. 
These  views,  heconiing  the  accepted  historical  tra<lition  in 
France,  spread  across  the  channel,  and  exerted  a  con- 
siderahh'  iiiHutMice  cm  English  writers  of  the  early  part  of 
the  nineteenth  centiirv.  Kventnally,  one  of  the  French 
works  fell  into  tli(>  hands  ctf  Richanl  liiddle,  a  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  lawyer,  who  had  taken  up  his  resich'iice  in 
Kngland  for  tli«^  purpose  of  pursuing  historical  investiga- 
tions preparatory  to  writing  a  treatise  t»n  the  progress  of 
early  di.scovery.  .Mr.  Bid<lle  read  the  account  of  the 
Cabots  in  the  liintiwphif.  Univeri^dle,  and  he  innnediately 
rccogni/ed  that  many  of  its  statenients  were  incctri'ect. 
He  determined  to  right  a  great  historical  injustice.  lie 
gathered  authorities,  drew  up  iiis  bi'ief,  and  in  1k;')1  i)nb- 
lished  his  MciDoii-  of  Schasfiaii  Viihot.^  This  volume 
(•(U'rocted  many  of  tin"  errors  in  the  earlier  works,  but  Mr. 
IViddle,  with  a  lawyer's  acumen,  having  once  started  out 
to  correct,  kept  at  it  until  he  had  revised  vtM'v  nearly 
everything  in  lii.s  predeces.sois.  whether  it  was  right  or 
wrong  before  he  touched  it.  The  confusi(»n  of  IT')") 
becaiiH^  worse  confounded.  Riddle's  work,  however,  whs 
of  the  masterly,  mastt^rful  sort,  obviously  one  of  tho.se 
piibliciitions  known  technically  as  *'an  important  contribii- 

I  llidillc's  Mfiiitiir  WHS  published  in  riiiladelphia  ami  London  in  ls;il,  and 
reissncil  in  l.ondiiu  in  !><;:'_  with  one  leaf  cancelled.  It  innnediately  attracteil  nnicli 
attention  fmni  ihe  Iteviews.  and  its  inllnence  is  jdaiidy  seen  in  the  increased  space 
aiMiirded  to  <  allot  in  Historical  and  ).;eot:raphical  treatises  which  appeared  in  the 
succeeding'  years.  One  statement  in  his  preface,  p.  ii.,  is,  if  possible,  evi'u  more  true 
of  what  was  |inblislii'il  in  consei|iiencc  of  his  work  than  of  what  preceded  it:  that 

"  amidst  a  j-rcat  deal  ol   undenlalil.\  liiu'  wrilin};'  on  the  subject,  (of  the  Cabots) 

it  wiinid  seem  to  have  si-i'ureil  to  itself  less  than  aiiN  other  of  patient  ami  anxious 
labor.  The  task  of  .settinn  facts  riyht  has  been  regarded  as  an  unworthy  ilrudnery, 
while  an  ambitious  ell'iirt  Is  witnessed  to  throw  them  before  the  public  eye  in  all 
the  fantastic  shapei-,  and  deceptive  colourin)>,  of  error."  Middle  lavished  an 
immense  amount  <if  painslakiii);  research  upon  his  volume,  which  is  a  mim"  of 
informal  ion  from  which  succcedinu  writers  have  drawn  material  for  which  they 
have  rarely  ):iven  hini  due  credit.  The  hopelessly  confused  manm>r  in  which  Kiddle 
presented  his  argument,  the  absence  of  chronological  arrangement  in  the  narra- 
tive and  <if  any  index,  remlers  It  extremely  ditticult  to  discover  specitlc  statements 
in  his  text,  or  to  check  the  appropriations  of  other  writers. 


itMNWl 


i 


12 

tion,"  and  ii  <liu>  a^'^.-ntion  to  prolimiiirti'ics  resulted  in  the 
aeceptaiiee  of  liis  arjjfumeiit  )»y  the  reviewers,  who  pub- 
lished rA^Hirn'H  of  his  opinions  in  the  (|uarterlies  and  the 
principal  niajra/ines  of  that  day.  A  powerful  influenee 
was  thus  created,  which  effectually  <loniinated  the  histoi'i- 
cal  traditions  of  the  succeed inirs^^neratioji.  This  influence 
culminated  in  the  lienHirhihle  Life  of  Sebastian  written 
by  ^[r.  Nicholls  of  the  Knirlish  Bristol,  who  carried  the 
irloritication  of  Sebastian  Cabot  almost  to  the  point  of 
sanctitii-ation.'  Naturally,  Mr.  Nicholls's  book  produced  a 
rca<'tion,  which  received  an  impetus  from  the  (hidin<r,  not 
lonir  befoie  its  appearance,  of  the  news  letters  and  diplo- 
matic despatche,s  sent  from  Kufrland  to  Spain  and  Italy  in 
the  year  of  .lohn  Cabot's  discovery.**  This  reaction  found 
its  first  expression  in  an  article  published  under  the  heading' 
of  "Our  (iolden  Candlesticks"  in  the  Boston  Daifi/ 
Advet'tlxpv,  in  March,  1X71,  beiny;  Henry  Stevens's  effective 
little  criti(|ue  rcprinte«l  with  the  title  "Sebastian  Cabot — 

'  'I'liis  I'll'iirt  to  "  riear  away  the  miNre|ire8eiihitloii»i  with  wliU^li  i)jnciran<*,  lirt'ju- 
cHrc,  iiiil  nialipiliity  havt;  overlaitl  hin  life  anil  actiiiiis,  and  to  In  hi);  out  tlu!  man 
troin  the  shronil  In  wliicli  oblivion  liaii  jiai'tlally  enwrappeil  him,"  was  |inliliHlif<l  in 
IKIKI.  It  wax,  Mr.  NicliolN  .Hays,  "  a  laliiir  of  love ;  for,  like  some  <;loi'ions  antitpie  in 
an  arid|iolis  of  weeds,  he  ;;i'ew  in  beauty  as  we  lifted  off  the  aspersions  whieli  had 
bi'iMi  rast  upon  him,  nntil,  as  the  last  stain  was  removeil,  anil  our  loving  work  was 
done,  he  stood  before  ns  in  the  majesty  of  his  true  manhood."  An  interestint;'  pas- 
saj^e  is  that  in  which  .Mr.  Nicholls,  on  p.  1X7,  ex)ilains  Kilen's  account  of  Cabot's 
ilcaMi  bed,  on  which  ■■  the^ooilolde  man,  in  that  extreme  a^e,. somewhat  doted,  and 
liad  not  yet  euen  in  the  artnde  of  death,  \  tterly  shaken  of  all  worldlye  vayiie 
;ilorie  "  :  Kden's  Taisnierus,  .1  rrrif  iifreHsin'ii'  .  .  .  lUntki^  I'lmfryithnj  MitfitjiitiuH, 
si;;-.  I.;i.  "  Perchance  Kdeu  understood  him  not  ...  In  the  intlnite  ocean  of  the 
love  of  his  Saviour  lie  found  no  variation,  but  a  solid  data,  from  which  neither 
leii^jth,  or  breadth,  or  depth,  or  height  could  separate  him:  wliich,  passinu  all 
huiiian  iiuderstandint:',  was  partially  revealed  in  the  ^ilimpse  which  his  ilyiiiKeNc 
caii^lht  of  the  Spirit  World,  beyond  the  river,  and  so,  joyonsly  and  trustfiilly.  like  a 
cliilil  ill  his  old  ace  he  sank  to  his  rest." 

-,See  note,  nnlf,  |i.  (S.  .Most  of  these  first  attracted  attention  when  published  in 
the  Itolls  Series  of  State  I'apers  and  .Manuscripts  relating- to  Kn^lisli  Atlairs,  from 
foreign  archives.  Mr.  Hertfenroth's  Spanish  series  betjan  in  lutU,  and  the  Hist  vol- 
ume id'  Mr.  Itaudon  Itrown's  collections  from  the  libraries  of  northern  Italy 
appeared  in  WA.  "  The  recent  discovery  in  the  Kibliotheijue  Imperial  of  a  map  id' 
Cabot,  dated  l.''>44,"  in  which  Mr.  Nicholls  found  the  key  to  the  Calmtian  eni^iiia, 
w  hicli  apparently  .justilleil  his  volume,  took  plai'e  in  1K4;),  althoiinh  Mr.  Nicholls's  re- 
mark is  justiHed  by  the  fact  that  it  was  twenty  years  later  before  historical  students 
lie^aii  to  realize  the  real  Hi;;iiiticaiii'e  of  the  information  all'oriled  by  this  rarto- 
Kiapliic  record,— See  .Mr.  Charles  lleane's  remarks  in  the  I'rnririluii/n  of  this 
•Society  for  April,  Wu,  pp,  4;i-.V), 


illBl 


\ 


X. 


x 


X. 


18 


cs  resulted  in  the 

ewers,   \vIh»  pub- 

mrterlies  and  Hie 

>\verful   inflnenre 

mted  tlie  liistoi'i- 

Tliis  inHuonee 

SelMistiiin  written 

who  ejirried  (he 

to  the   point  of 

l»ook  prodn<'ed  ii 

I  the  fin(lin<r,  not 
letters  iind  dipht- 
pain  and  Italv  in 
lis  reaetion  found 
under  the  iieadiii<>' 
c  Boston  Da  11  11 
•^teveiis's  effective 
»ol>!istian  Caltot — 

wliicli  i|;iiiir!iiii')>,  prt'.jn- 
itl  to  liriiiK  out  till*  iiiiiii 
il  liiiii,"  was  iMililiKlifil  ill 
some  (clorioiiH  iintiijiiu  in 
lie  aK|iui'sioiis  wliicli  liail 
nil!  our  loviiijr  work  was 
III."  An  intci'(*NtinK  pas- 
len's  aiTiiiiiit  of  Caliot's 
(re,  somcwliat  iloteil.aiiil 
n  of  all   wiii'lillye  vayiic 

•  idill'i  I'll  i  till  .\iliii/iilillli, 

the  intinitc  oican  of  llic 
ita,  from  wliirli  neltln-r 
liiii:  wliicli,  jiassiiii:  all 
psiMvliirli  Ills  ilyinti  i-u- 
isl.v  anil  trnstfiillv.  liki-  a 

iition  \vli<>n  |iiililisli<-il  in 
to  Kii^lisli  All'aii's,  froin 

II  IKtJ'j.  anil  the  Hist  vol- 
iirk's  of  nortliitrn  Italy 
|iii'  Inipurial  of  a  map  of 
U>  till'  I'abotian  i-iiit>nia, 
lioiiuli  iMr.  Mrliolls'sri'- 
I'fori'  liistoriral  stmU'iits 
allorili'il  liy  tills  iiirlo- 
II'    I'riiiiiiliiifi',  of    this 


.John  ('allot  =  (>.""  Not  loiiir  after  this,  Ilenrv  Ilarrisse  took 
up  the  suhjeet,  and  produeed  his  valuable  Jean  ef  St^haHtien 
Vahnl.  A  portion  of  this  volume  was  expanded  intt)  that 
supei'b  piece  of  worU,  llarrisse's  Dhcnveri/  of  X^orth 
Atiierica,  and  the  remainder,  the  bio<rraphical  jiortion, 
ji'rew  into  his  .Inhn  (JaUni  and  -Seftasfian  ht's  Snii„  which 
ii|)l)eared  in  season  to  add  materially  to  the  excitement  of 
the  Cabot  <|uadricentennial  ceh^bratioiis.'  If  Mr.  Ilarrisse 
had  lost  his  interest  in  the  Cabots  when  he  finished  jH'oof- 
readinji'  this  last  volume,  it  is  probable  that  it  would  ha\<' 
rtMiiained  for  a  vcrv  loiifr  while  the  <lelinitive  work  (ni 
the  subject — a  most  desirable  situation.  In  it,  Mr.  Ilar- 
risse expressed  decided  opinions  in  re^rard  to  Sebastian's 
chai'acter  and  achievements,  but  there  was  not  sutficicnt 
evidcMice  of  jiersonal  animus  to  discredit  seriously  Mr. 
llarrisse's  jud<rment  of  that  over-rated  persona<>e.  As  it 
liapptMis,  h(»wcver,  Mr.  Ilarrisse  had  irrowii  in  fame,  and 
in  years,  durin<.>'  the  interval  between  his  two  Cabot  vol- 
umes. R(>ali/iii,<r  his  dominant  position  as  the  foremost 
authority  on  all  that  <'oiiccrns  the  period  of  discovery,  it 
may  be  that  .Mr.  Ilarrisse  was  nettled  by  the  knowlcdjre 
that  certain  writers  of  standinji' as  scholars  had  not  accepted 
his  ih'rfa  as  dcHiiitively  deterniinin<i  the  judjfincnt  of  pos- 
terity. .\t  any  rate,  his  Cabot  book  soon  irave  birth  to  a 
tlock  of  lesser  wiitin<>;s.  scatlcrcd  in  the  periodicals  of 
Knirlaiid,  (lermany,  France  and  America,  in  whi<'h  Mr. 
Ilarrisse  asserted  with  iiicreasinjr  veheniciic(>  that  Sebastian 
( 'al>ot  was  one  of  the  most  unmitii>at«Ml  rascals  of  all  histoiy. 
It  is.  he  contends,  '•  proved  beyond  cavil  and  sophistry  that 
Sebastian  Cabot  was  only  an  uiiinitiiiatcd  chitrlatan,  a 
mendacioits    and    untilial    boaster,   a    would-be    traitor    to 


^pain,  a  would-be   traitor  to    Hnjrland. 


Such  talk  as 


The  ilates  of  piihliention  are,  respei'tively,  iw.',  IWf.',  ami  IWMi. 
These  are  the  rloslii(j  worils  of  an  artirle  on  "  The  Onteome  of  the  Caliot  Qua- 
llisliiriiiil  lleiii'ir  for  Oitolier,  ISilK,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  lit. 


r 


tercentenary."  in  the  .liiiiririiii 

I  am  aware  of  few  more  iiistriietlve  stiiilies  than  that  of  the  way  in  whieli  the  views 

of  this  master  of  historieal  learniii):  );i'ailiially  took  shape,  at  Hist  from  inereasiii); 


t'-  \ 


14 


tliis  iiatiimllv  (•(•untorftcts  itsolt'.  It  is  f<ir  some  timo  offort 
to  sot  tliinjfs  rijLrlit  once  more,  iis  tliov  have  not  been  ri^lit 
sinee  17')'>. 

.lolni  Cabot's  earlier  life  is,  so  far  as  liistorieul  stndents 
are  coneernetl,  fairly  well  establislie«l.  He  was  born  in  or 
near  (ienoa,  somewhat  before  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  He  moved  to  Wniee,  proltablv  while  still  a  \(»ini<; 
man,  and  there  he  marrie<l  a  woman  whose  property  has 
oet-asioned    her    son    eonsidemble    trouJiie.'        This    son, 


inroriimtioii.  as  h\n  Htiiilleit  for  IiIh  Miii'rtjHHivt>  viiliiiiit>»<  iiiikIp  liim  iiiiiru  iiiiil  inure 
fitiniliiir  with  cvt^ry  intricucy  nf  the  Hnhjcct,  and  then  iiniler  im'reiiHinc  proviH-ntion 
when,  hiH  HtnilieNconipleteil,  he  l>e|;un  to  realize  that  he  huil  not  f«ni'eee<U'<l  in  con- 
vincln);  theHcliolarly  world  of  the  jnHtneHMof  hiH  eonchiHionB.  Mr.  HurriHHe  entered 
upon  thin  Kecond  Htate  of  mind  with  the  preparation  of  a  HerieH  of  artieleH,  expaniled 
from  chapters  in  IiIh  JoIiii  Ciihol  itiiil  Silmsliiiii  his  No/i,  whhdi  were  printed  in 
Drapeyron'.i  lleiiir  tir  GHiijmiihie  in  1WI4-0T.  He  next  I'hallenKed  the  <lute  June  'J4, 
dei'lurini!  that  the  landfall  eould  not  have  taken  place  on  that  ilay,  in  the  Foriiiii 
for  June,  18it7,  XXni.,  *l2-47r>.  Then  came  an  animated  controversy  with  MessrH. 
li.  K.  Weare  and  (1.  K.  K.  I'rowHe  in  \olfn  iiinl  tjiifriia,  for  '.*(>  June  and  14  AuKUHt, 
18»7,  sth  Series,  \l.  nni  and  MI.  IJO-l.ti,  in  which  he  convinced  himself  that  the 
name  Mathew  as  that  of  Calmt's  ship  wasa  forgery  of  Chatterton.  His  opinion  that 
the  landfall  iu\iHt  have  lieen  on  the  Lahrador  coast  was  set  forth  in  the  Xttflirirhleii 
of  the  (ic'ittiniien  k|;I.  CesellHchaft  der  Wissenschaften  for  1K!)7,  pp.  :i'Jt',-.')4S.  He 
founti  support  for  the  Itelief  that  CalHtt  returned  from  his  second  voyage,  in  the 
Ho-called  "ealiot  Roll,"  which  proves  that  ('alH>t's  pensiiui  was  paid  in  14!K),  in  an 
artiide  printe<l  in  the  Ainfrinni  llistitrifiil  llfrli'ir  for  April,  18!IS,  111.,  «!l-4.')r>.  The 
latest  of  his  Cabot  publications  of  which  I  am  aware  is  in  the  'I'm iimiet ions  of  the 
Koyal  Society  of  Canada  for  IKW,  '.>d  Series,  IV.,  Sec.  II.,  KKI-KHI,  in  rectitlcation  of 
some  statements  in  wliich  Dr.  S.  (!.  Uawson  had  disagreed  with  him. 

<  Sebastian's  supposed  treachery  to  Spain  and  to  Knt;land  is  inextricably  mixed 
up  with  his  efforts  to  secure  from  the  Venetian  authoritieN  some  acknowled^rment 
of  his  claims  to  property  derived  from  liis  mother:  fii  dato  bona  speranza  de 
recuperar  la  dote  di  vostra  madre,  et  ameda,  according  to  the  letter  written  from 
Venice  in  the  name  of  <'aliot's  KhaKusan  friend, '.'S  A|)ril,  152.3,  in  Harrisse's  ./.  p/ 
v.  Ciiliot,  .'tM.  Nearly  thirty  years  later  the  Council  of  Ten  at  Venice  wrote  to  their 
ambassailor  in  Kupiland,  under  date  of  l'.>  September,  ir>ni,  ./.  il  S.  Citlml,  'Ml ; 
cjuaiito  alia  richiestii  die  vi  i-  statu  fatii  ila  <iuei  Si^nori  circa  li  (!rediti  die  preteiide, 
1^  riciiperatione  <le  belli,  li  risponderete  die  noi  desideramo  in  tiitto  (|uello  die 
poteiiio  far  cosa  ^rahi  a  qiiella  Maesti'i.  e  a  loro  Si);norie  iiia  die  noii  essendo  il 
detto  Cahoto  coiioHcinto  da  aU'uno  de  <|ui,saria  neccesNario  die  esso  medesimo 
veiiisse  per  );iiistilicare  la  sua  persona  et  le  ra);ion  sue,  essenilo  quelle  cose  di  clie 
SI  paria  niolto  vecdiie.  The  same  despatch  bearer  proliably  carried  a  letter  of 
similar  date  from  the  llevereiid  l*eter  Valines,  the  Kn^flish  Ambassador  at  Venice, 
to  tlie  Coiini'il  of  Kdward  VI.;  "  Toiu^hin;;  Sebastian  Cabot's  matter,  concernini; 
wliich  the  \'eiietiaii  Ambassador  has  also  written,  he  has  recommendeil  the  same  to 
the  Seigniory,  and  in  their  presence  delivered  to  one  of  their  secretaries  Raptistii 
Kumiisio,  whom  Cabot  put  in  trust,  such  evidences  as  came  to  his  hands.  The 
.Seigniory  were  well  pleased  that  one  of  their  subjects  by  service  and  virtue  should 
deserve  the  [English J  Council's  |;ood  will  and  favour;  anil  altlioiifch  this  matter  is 
about  .'>()  years  old,  and  by  the  death  of  men,  decaying  of  houses  and  perishing  of 
writinifs.  as  well  as  his  own  almence,  it  were  hard  to  come  to  any  assured  knowledg;« 
thereof,  they  have  <'<-uiiuandeU  ICuiuuslo  tu  ensearvh  with  diligence  any  way  and 


'1-' 


TJh»^. "' 


'j^^is: 


\ 


15 


kiiiiwUulKi' ihiskIIiIc  that  may  stanil  til  tlieaatd  SebaHtiaii'^  protit  aiiil  olitaiiiin;;  of 
iIkIiI."— in  Tiiriiliiill,  I'miiiiii  i'lihinlitr,  IWil,  |i.  171.  It  In  nut  tsisy  to  lieliove  that 
a  iieixiiii  ait  hiettit^ifiit  aiKl  iiiisiK'O'HHt'iil  an  the  4'uhot  ili'Nrribed  hy  Mr.  HarriHHu 
rcmhl  havo  cleceivt'd  NiK'cfNHriilly  the  rvprraentatives  of  lioth  Spain  anil  Knclanil  in 
a  matter  of  thit*  Hort.  .\8  will  lie  Heeii  hy  tliei|niitatiiin  I'roni  rasqualiKu  in  the  next 
note,  .liihn  I'aliot'H  Venetian  wile  aeeompanieil  him  to  llristol,  Kn);lanil. 

I  Honi'ino  wrote    in  Deeemlier,   U!»7,  "messer  /oanne iliee  ehe  altre   volte 

e»mi  e  statu  alia  Mereha."  Ayala  ileserilieil  hiiii,  in  .Inly,  14!W,  as  "iitro  (;enove» 
lomo  Colon  ipie  ha  estailo  en  Sevilla  y  en  Lislioiia.'"  rasi|iialiKii,  in  AutjnHt,  14'.)", 
spoke  III' ('allot  as  lieinK  "eon  so  nioier  venitiaiia  e  eon  so  lloli  a  itristo."  It  is 
iinl'ortiinate  that  there  is  no  means  of  provin);  the  trntli  or  error  in  Straeliey's 
interestint;  allnsion  to  ,lolin  Cabot  as  "a  Venetian  iiiileiiizeil  his  (Henry  VII.) 
Hnbjert  \' ilwellint;  w'iiin  the  lllaek  friers,"  Lonilon,  inUltfj;  iStraehey;  llislorii 
III'  Tiiiiiiii/f,  eiliteil  by  U.  II.  Major,  for  the  Makbiyt  .><oiiety,  London,  184!',  pp.  l>  7. 

-  Soni'ino  staled  that  Cabot  was  InHiienred  by  what  Spain  and  l*ortn;;al  had 
ai'complished :  '■  el  quale  visto  clie  li  Serenissiini  He  prima  de  rortii^allo  poi  <le 
Spa^na  haiino  or<  iipato  isole  inroKnite,  ilelibero  fare  nno  simile  aeipiisto  per  ilichi 
.Maesti'i."     He  ;:oes  on  to  describe  the  disrovery :  "  li  iMimpaKni  I'hi  sono  ipiasi  tntti 

iii)i,lesi,  et  da  Itristo li  principall  dell'  impresa  sono  de  Kristo,  Kiandi  marinari." 

Ayala,  in  his  letter  of  .lidy,  14!lti,  makes  the  statement  in  regard  to  the  preliminary 
elforts  during  the  preeeiliii):  six  or  seven  years:  •'  i.os  de  Ilristol,  ha  siete  aflos  que 
eada  ai\o  an  armado  dos,  tres,  euatro  laravelas  para  ira  biisearla  isia  del  Krasil  y  las 
sieteeiuiiades  eon  la  fantasia  deste  (rinoves."  The  Cabot  l.''>44  map  is  the  authority 
for  the  date,  e^irly  moriiinn  of  '24  .liiue,  as  tliat  of  the  diseovery.  I'lie  dates,  ■_'  May 
and  li  Auffust,  141)7,  for  the  departure  and  return  of  the  Cabot  ship,  rest  upon  a 
mainiseript  olirouiele,  known  as  the  Kiist  or  ruby  ehroniile,  whieh  was  destroyed  by 
tire  in  IWiO,  and  whieh  Mr.  Harrisse  has  ingeniously  imaKiued  iiii)j:ht  have  been  a 
forjiery  by  Cliatterton:  see  note  '-',  niilf,  p.  13.  This  same  ehroniele  is  the  authority 
for  the  name  Mathew  as  that  of  Cabot's  craft.  No  doubt  has  yet  been  thrown  upon 
Mr.  Oaven  Drde'g  copy,  from  the  oriKinal  entries  of  the  privy  purse  expenses  of 
Henry  VII.,  of  the  entry, under  dateof  111  .Vufrust,  14!l7,"toliym  that  foundetheiiew 
Ihie,  cm."  It  is  merely  an  assumption  of  probabilities  whieh  connects  this  entry 
with  Cabot's  voyane  of  diseovery. 


V 


X. 


S(OHi.>ti»ii,  was  horn  in  Vtuiicc  ulMtiit  147"),  )tpin«>'  one  of  ii 
tiiinily  which  contuincd  iit  h^ast  thrvv  sons.  'I'hc  father, 
(iiovanni  or  Ziian,  was  onpi^cil  in  niorcantii*^  affairs,  and 
niiulc  voya<;«'s  to  Mecca  and  to  tlio  cities  of  Spain. 
Kventuallv  he  wt^nt  to  Kn<;land,  whert*  he  established 
hiiiLSdlf  at  liOiuhin  and  Bristol.'  In  Bri,stol,  his  plans 
for  adv<Miturin<;  into  the  unknown  world  took  shapes  and 
he  was  enabled  to  put  his  ideas  to  the  test  of  trial. 
A))par(!ntly,  he  jiei-sisted  for  nearly  a  decade  in  his  (efforts 
to  find  land  westward  from  In^land.  At  la.st,  one  inorniii<>' 
in  .lune,  141I7,  he  sncceedt^d,  and  a  f«'W  weeks  later,  he 
received  from  the  Knjflish  Kin<r  the  I'eward  foi-  his 
discovery.'-* 

The  story  of  (  al»ot's   voyajje  of  discovery   is  told  in  a 
great  many  hooks,  and  there  is  no  occasion  f()r  rehearsinji' 


I 


m^mmm 


-r- 


n 


tuiiiiliHi'  «l<>tHilH,'  A  siii^lo  |i(>iiit  is  nil  that  culls  for  cnn- 
si(l(^l'llli()ll.  ('oiiiiHcss  piim^mpliH  Imvc  Ixhmi  WTittiMi  alioiit 
( 'ulMtt's  v«i,vuju:(>  ii|i  hikI  down  the  Aiiiui'ifan  (-(Hist,  r)in*;iii<r 
ill  iiiid  out  ol'  i\\v  (iiilf  of  St.  Luwri'.iu'f,  soiitliwiinl  to 
tli«<  iioiiit  of  Florida  and  north  to  ('a|H>  ('liidlci/udi  in 
LulM'udor.  As  a  matter  of  fiu't,  I  soo  no  irason  for  su|»- 
|>osiii|u:  tliut  >loliii  ('allot  ,s|iont  more  than  a  low  hours  on 
AiinM'ican  soil  durinj«;  his  Hrst  visit  to  this  continent.  The 
mission  of  tlu»  voyiiju'o  was  accomplished  as  soon  as  land 
was  diseovei'ttd  wt>stward  from  Kurope.  Caliot  had  fnl- 
lilled  his  purpose  as  soon  as  he  had  stepped  on  shon*. 
Kurther  exploration  c<iuld  add  iiothin<r  of  eomparalile 
siHTiiilleain'e  to  what  he  already  knew,  and  this  kiiowledfrc! 
ini«rht  easily  lie  lost  to  Kurope  by  any  attempt  to  increase 
it.  There  is  no  conviiicin<r  reason  why  Cahot  uinl  his 
companions  nee«l  have  spent  more  than  a  few  hours  on 
.-liore  or  aloii^  the  American  «'oast.  The  stories  which 
they  told  after  their  arrival  home,  s«>  far  as  these  have 
heeii  preserved  to  the  jir«'scnt  <lay,  suitjjfcst  only  the  short- 
est possilile  deliiy  at  the  jroal  of  the  voyajre,  and  a  hurried 
return  with  the  news.  " 


'¥ 


<  Tll«  I'KNi'liMiil  iIi'IhIIn  iiivall  ilorlvt-il  fritin  two  ilociiiiientH,  wliicli  iirc  iiiiitiially 
iKiitriiilli'tiiiy  In  ii  niimt  tiii|iiirtiiiit  |iiiliit.  Kvury  Ntiiiloiit  ol'  Uikkc  (lii)'iiiiiiMitH  iiin!<t 
liavt'  IiIk  own  i'\|iliiiiiilliin,  wlilrli  will,  in  the  niiijorlty  <il'  caNeK,  I'liniiiiiMiil  iueir  ti> 
liiH  I'uviir  |ii>t  III  |ini|Mi|'tloii  »N  it  iliircrK  rnnii  every  otlier  eliiriilatiiui  of  tlie  piiKzle, 
l'aHi|iiiill|iii  wrote  on  'j:i  Anniml,  UDT,  that  Calmt  xaiil  he  ha<l  sailed  for  ;iiiil  U-a)::iie!< 
iilonn  a  roai.1  'im  leaniieK  illntant:  "e  illee  haver  trovato  liue  TIKI  lontano  de  i|iii 
r.'rral'erma  el  |iae\e  ilel  tlrani  Cam  amlato  per  la  eoHUi  li|;e  :ilMi.  tin  tlie  followiii): 
ilay  Italinonilo  ill  Soneliio  wrote  that  Caliot  liail  diHeovereil  the  Heven  ritieH  4iKl 
l.'aitiieH  Iroiii  Kiiitland  :  ed  lia  heoperto  due  ixole  lertili  iiiolto  t;raiidi,  aveiido  del 
|iarl  M'o|ierlo  le  nelle  I'ilta  i|iiattroi'eiito  le^lie  dall'  liiKliilterra  dalla  parte  verso 
iirc'Ideiili'."  'I'IiIn  dlntaiiee  In  eonllniied  by  Ayala,  who,  writiii);  on  25  .liily,  14W, 
implleH  tliat  llie  Kliiit  told  hitn  that  the  new  lands  were  4(Hl  leapies  distant  "  Kl 
Key  de  Vnulaleriii  me  ha  t'alilado  ul|;niias  vezes  solire  ello.  S|iero  aver  inny  K<'aii 
iiilereHse.    Creo  no  ay  i|iiatro  elentoH  lenniut." 

^  III  l'aM|iiiilluo'M  letter,  the  pasnaije  ipioted  in  the  preceding  note  eontinnes: 
e  elie  e  ilesiiioiilatoe  lion  a  visto  persona  al|;niia,  iiia  a  portato  ipii  ul  re  eerti  la/i 
rh'eiii  tesl  per  pleiidi'r  salvadexilie,  e  lino  ai;o  da  tar  rede  e  a  trovato  eerti  alliori 
taKiatli  hI  elie  per  i|iienlo  liidlelia  ehe  ze  perscnie.    Vene  in  nave  per  diildto  el  e 

stalo  ineNi  Ire  siil  vlaito  e  i|iiest<i  e  eerto Sto  inventor  de  <|iieHte  lose  a  inipian- 

tato  siill  leri'cnl  a  trovato  una  ({ran  -f-  [eross]  eon  una  liandieru  de  In^eltera 
e  una  de  San  Marco,"  Soni'liio's  arcoiint  of  Caliot's  landinK  and  exploration 
reailK ;  "  Inline  eaplloe  In  terra  t'ernia,  dove  poHto  la  hiindera  retjia,  e  tolto  la  posses- 

Hioiie  per  i|iiei«ta  Altexa,  et  prewi  eerti  negiiali,  He  iie  rctuniato Kt  dieono  ehe  la 

<;  turraopiinia  el  leliipuiaUiiet  UMlliiiannuche  vi  iiasva  el  lirasiliuct  le  »uto Ma 


.—iif'mituam 


X 


■17  ■ 

.loliii  CftlMtt  Hi'{  HlM)ut  propariiijr  tor  his  second  rercmhMl 
voyu<i;«>  very  so(»ii  at't«'i'  his  i-otiirn  from  tho  «liHcoverv.' 
Fitirly  ill  14!)^  he  recoivod  tlie  rovul  iiiithori/iHtioii,  niul  it 
utis  (lotilith'ss  Kiistertidc  Itefoi-o  he  was  ready  to  depart. 
Whi'ii  at  last  the  fiv<'  ships  were  ready,  tiiey  <*ast  off, 
dropped  down  to  tlie  Severn,  out  tlir(ni<;h  th«'  Hristol 
Channel,  and  so  around  the  southern  pctint  of  Ireland, 
where  they  ran  into  a  furious  stiu'in,  which  <lrove  one  of 
(he  vessels  hack  <ni  to  the  Irish  coast  in  serious  distress.'-' 
This  is  the  last  that  has  ever  been  heard  of  the  fate  (»f  that 
c\p«'<lition.  Not  one  wcu'd  has  yet  liecoine  known  wiii«'ii 
throws  any  further  li<rht  on  what  happened  to  .lohii  (*al)ot 
and  his  He<'t.  There  are,  in  the  sixteenth  century  hooks, 
a  nuinher  of  undated  accounts  of  Cahot  voyas;es.  It  was 
supposed  that  these  «lescrihed  tlie  voyajre  of  141>4  or  141I7, 
until  fifty  years  a<ro,  when  the  accounts  of  what  actually 
took  place  in  the  latter  year  were  found  at  Veni«'c. 
'riicrcupon  these  undated  accoinits  were  all  fitted  on  to  this 
14ltH  voya<>e.  The  ln>peless  confusion  which  resulted  may 
pi'Hiaps  he  disciitun<;led  l»y  applyinir  certain  of  these  narra- 
tives to  a  voya<;e  inach'  in  \M)H. 

Schastian  Cahot  in  \M)H  tried  to  find  a  way  to  Cathay 
across  the  Arctic  circle.  lie  saihul  into  the  north  until  his 
projrress  was  blocked  hy  her<;s  and  field  i«'e  at  ')H°  or  (i()° 
north  latitude,  and  then,  lieinjr  forced  to  turn  hack,  he 

iiitissi'r /<i:niiif iieiisu  ilii  (pivllo  Iih'o  oci'iipiito  iiii<liirNent>  xciupru  ii  Itivii   Hiva 

|iiii  versii  t>l  l.uviiiite."  'I'lic  Ciihiit.  1544  iiiu|>  merely  stilteH  the  time  i»f'  tlie  ilia- 
I'liverv,  iiikI  then  };i>es  mi  witli  iiii  accniiiit  of  what  wuh  kiiiiwii  aluiiit  the  I'liiiiitiy  half 
a  rciitiiiy  later. 

'  l'asi|iialii:ii,  'J.'i  .Vii);ii.st,  t4!l7,  repiirtx  that  the  Kin;;  had  proiiiiMetlCaliiit  ten  sliipw 
anil  all  the  |>risiiiier.s,  except  traltorx,  to  man  his  Heet.  "  The  Knt;lii*li  run  after  him 
like  mail  people,  mi  that  he  ran  eiiliNt  an  many  of  them  as  he  likeH,  ami  a  imiiilier  "( 
our  own  ni|;iie.s  lieitiite,"  Soneino, 'J4  Aiiciist,  hatl  liearil  that  the  Kill);  meant  to 
seiiil  him  out  next  spriii):  with  Hfteeii  or  twenty  Hhips. 

-The  leUers  patent  are  tlatetl  :i  Kelirnary,  149H.  The  Kaliyun  ('liriiiiiele,  (|iiot«il  liy 
Haklnyt,  tfiveH  the  departure  iih  the  "  beKiniii);  of  May."  The  payment  of  Caliot's 
penxion,  lor  the  half  year  ending  15  April,  14!ih,  is  of  little  iletinite  value.  aH  will  he 
xeen.  Ayala,  in  >lnly,  reportH  that  the  live  Hhips  were  proriHioneil  for  a  year,  lint 
were  expected  hack  in  .Septemlier.  He  almi  telli*  of  the  Mtorm:  Ha  veniiUi  niieva, 
la  una  eii  que  iva  iiii  otro  K»l  Hull  fc/'.  the  phrase  "  iitro  coiiio  I'olon  "  ati  ileHcriptive 
of  I  allot)  aporto  en  Irlundu  con  |$run  tonuento  nitto  el  uavio,  Kl  giiiuves  tiru  8U 
cuwiiiu. 


> 


\ 


"■II" 


mm 


mmmimmmmmm 


i    !l 


I' 


18 


kept  on  U>«rard  tlio  west  until  ho  ivtu'lied  a  coiiNt  line  which 
ho  followoil  soiithwAi-d  for  noino  diNtAnce.'  A  fow  of  the 
dotjiiis  of  thin  voyttfTP  have  boon  proMorvtMl  in  a  roport 
from  Marc  Antonio  C'ontarini  to  tho  Venetian  Sonato  in 
l'>8(l,  in  whicli  ho  statod  tliat  (\iliot  wan  aiithori/od  liv 
llonry  VII.  to  tako  two  ships  and  that  "  with  throo  hundred 
men  ho  sailed  so  far  that  ho  found  tho  sea  frozen,  and  ho 
was  <-onipollod  to  return  without  having  aoooniplished  his 
oltjoot."'  Peter  Maityr  furnishes  the  additional  informa- 
tion that  when  tho  innnenso  iooher<fs  forced  Cabot  to  turn 
luick  ho  was  so  far  north  that  there  was  continual  daylight 
in  tlio  month  of  'Inly,  and  that  ho  afterwards  matle  land  at 
a  point  whore  the  sun  had  molted  the  snow,  leavin<^  tho 
<;roun<l  Itaro.  As  ho  followed  down  tho  coast,  ho  encoun- 
toi'od  vast  shoals  of  lar<;e  fish,  whoso  countless  masses 
actually  sfaiyod  tho  free  progress  of  his  little  craft.     Alon<r 


'  I'eter  Martyr  i;ave  the  date  of  thii*  voyage  in  his  Heventh  l)«<'a<le,  />■  Orhr  \orn. 
TlilH  wnH  written  in  11^24,  iinil  in  tlie  He<;nnii  I'liapter  lie  fi|H*akN  iit  n  viiya^e  inatle  Ity 
CalHit  Hixteen  yean*  l)er<ir« :  anno  ah  him;  Hexto  ilet'huoex  AnKlia.  t'Mlnclclly  HWh- 
nrd  Halcliiyt  rorrevtetl  tliin  Htatement,  ho  that  in  the  edition  of  tlie  Itenulfn,  whittli 
lit'  pnhliHlied  in  I'ariH  in  IWT,  tliiH  name  |iiuifiaKe  readH,  p.  471 ,  Hac(dialaoH  anno  aldiinc 
viKeMlnio  Hexto  ex  Ani;lia  |>er  CalMitiim  re|iert<w.  Halcluyt'g  Htatenient  in  tlie  more 
nearly  correct,  accordinK  to  what  Ih  now  known,  lint  the  iin|Hirtant  fact  reinaiiiH 
ei|iially  true  that  Martyr,  at  wlione  talile  Seliaotian  wiih  a  weleonie  and  a  freqiient 
IciieKt,  atuiociated  IiIh  iiortliweHtern  voya|;eti  with  the  year  IMM.  Thin  date  Ih  i-on- 
Hrined  l>y  a  paHHaKe,  whicli  waH  HrHt  inaile  piihiii;  in  IHWI,  from  Marc  Antonio 
Cont^irini'H  report  to  tlie  Venetian  Senate  retcardlnK  hifi  diplomatic  iiiiHsioii  in 
Spain.  L'onbirini  Mtated  that  C'alMit  made  a  voyaKe  of  explorati<iii  uiiUer  the 
aimpU'es  if  Henry  VII.  ol'  KiiKland,  hut  that  on  hlH  return  he  round  that  IiIm  royal 
patron  wax  dead.  Henry  VIII.  died  on  21  April,  IflIK).  Ah  I  have  Nliown  in  the  Ueo- 
liniiiliiriil  Joiiniiil,  Uindon,  Keliriiary,  18WI,  XIII.,  204-2A9,  the  date  of  thin  voyafto 
wiiM  roinpar.ttively  widely  known  diirin);  the  Hecond  half  of  the  nixteeiith  century. 
Ill  inTH  (ieorKe  Hente  deHurilied  a  Cabot  voyage  of  lAOR,  with  (Miimideralile  detail,  in 
hlH  'I'm-  IHHi-iirriir  ii/  Hif  late  I'liyni/fH  it/  DinroiTfli;  for  the  Jiniliiiil  o/  it  ihimhiii/I' 
til  Cut hii III!  till  till-  \iiftliiiest.  A  year  later, at  Oeneva,  VrlHiinClianveton  pnhliHhed 
a  Kreiicli  vernion  of  Henzoiii'H  "  New  World,"  to  which  heinadeextenHiveadiiitiona, 
iiii'ludint;  an  aciuiiint  of  CalHit'H  voyage,  dated  lIMIi,  with  detailn  which  were  evi- 
di'iitly  Hot  derived  from  lleste,  nor  from  itamuHio'H  Siiiiiuiiirloitt  I'eter  Martyr,  to 
wliicli  it  apparently  KiveH  a  reference.  Chauvetoii'H  aihiitioiiH  were  traiiniated  into 
Latin  and  (iennan  for  I)e  liry'n  editions  of  Henzoni,  in  the  "(}randH  VoyaceH," 
part  IV.,  iMHiied  i|i  Inland  iniM. 

'I'lini  .inn  liomeni  navlK"  tanto  che  trovo  il  mare  conKelato,  ande  convenne  al 
CalHito  ritornarHene  xenza  liavere  lo  intento  8Uo,  cum  pre8U|Hiiiito  pen'i  di  ritornar- 
Heiie  a  (|iiella  impresa  a  tempo  che  ii  mare  non  fimHe  coiiKelato.  Trovi'i  il  re,  morbi, 
eil  11  flfclin  <;urar8i  poco  di  tale  impre«a:  Herchet,  Font!  Itntliiiii  /jer  la  Hliiria  dellit 
ncuiierla  del  niiiwo  iiioiutit,  in  the  Rtweoltu  dl  diicuinenli  puhlighed  by  the  Italian 
ruyai  Culuiubiau  commiHHiuu,  Uoine,  UVa,  pt.  III.,  vol,  1,,  p.  137, 


^■i-::7zrr:zrrr 


V 


X. 


the  slioros  larjfo  Im'uin  wcw  ol>sorvi«l,  wliii-li  \n\  in  wait  tor 
llie  Hsli,  Uuipiii^r  into  tlit'  mIiiiIIow  wutor,  as  thvy  saw  tlu*ir 
clmiifc  ami  ((rawiii<r  their  prey  to  laiitl  utter  iiiiich  spatteriii^' 
uihI  sti'ii<;^fliii<;.'  Tlie  inuin  facts  about  tliis  voyajre  were 
eoiitinneil,  also,  to  a  rertain  exU'iit,  l>y  Kieliard  Kdeii,  who 
states  ill  a  note  to  oih^  ot  the  narratives  of  the  expedition, 
that  "('allot  to(ieh(Ml  oiilv  in  the  north  corner  and  most 


I  Ml'.  IIiii'I'Imho  |MiliitHl  lint  in  IiIn  <'iiliiit,]i.  tni),thi-  I'lmnxntliiii  Ix^twAvn  CiintJiriiil'N 
ri>|Mirt. iinil  llif  iiiKliiteil  nuriiitive  in  Miirtyr'n  Ikrmlin,  /he.  III. ,///>, VI., wliirli  remlM; 
|ii'lnii>  teiiilcnH  cnin  linniinllmN  ti-r<'t*ntiiin  ml  Hi>|iti'htrii>n)Mn  ilonei*  otlitni  inllo  iiittiiitt! 
niiHliiN  i'i>|ieriTit  );i»i'liiifM  inolHH  |i»lii|;ii  niitiiiiteH :  iV  Incxni  feru  |ier|iHtiiani :  tellnr)- 
tanu'lilH^rii  i;nln  iiqneriirto.  i{nart>  I'liiiftnH  fnlt  nti  iiit  ni-lii  nHrtfrit  <.V  ni'rltieti-in 
Hfipil  .  .  .  llniM'iiliHiiN  culMittnH  l|iH**  tomiN  illiiN  u|i|iulliuiit:  iMi  (|n<*  in  eariun  politK" 
titntiini  raiifrit  niiiKnornni  i|iiiirnnilani  iiiHciuin;  .  .  .  ninltitniliiiuni:  nt  I'tiani  illi 
naiiiKia  inroriliun  iletarilurent  .  .  .  l|iHi  piHriiMiH  ni-Dcantiir.  Inter  ilHUHa  nuniinv 
liiHi'lnni  iiliinini  iiKUiina  neHti  innnericut  niNi:  it  HinKnlim  HinKnii  riim|il«xiHi:  nn- 
cniiinHi|ne  intnr  i*i|n»uiiiH  inimi8NiH  in  terrani  raiihit  A'  I'ommniinnt:  Martyr,  l>f  iivhr 
imrii,  Alviilii,  Uilll,  I.  .VJ.  Anotlivr  anil  inncli  more  reallHtic  aiu'imntof  tlit>H«  tlHii 
ami  liHarH  In  nintaineil  in  the  |ier|il<'xinir  ■'•niiiiiiitrhi  of  the  DertnleH  anilotlierearli- 
i>Ht  treatiHi-n  on  the  new  woriil,  whieh  upiiearH  to  have  lieen  coiniiilud  liy  IbiinnHio, 
anil  waH  printeil  at  Venloe  in  UM.  On  I.  iin("5l)")  tliere  in  an  Italian  version  of  the 
liaHHaife  I'roni  Martyr,  the  latter  |iortioii  of  whirh  reailH,  in  KncliRli:  "And  on 
iirroiint  of  tliat  ire  he  WIU4  roni|ielleii  to  tnrn  alxnit,  ami  make  hiNwayaloni:  tlie 
I'oaKt  whii'ii  at  tlrMl  ran  for  a  wnyM  towaril  tlie  Hontli,  then  eimnKed  to  weHtwuril,  ami 

I anse  he  fonnil  viiHt  nnnilierx  of  very  lar^e  HhIi  in  that  region,  whii'li  Hwani  in 

NliiialNiii'ar  tlieHliore,  aniiaMlienniierNtooil  tiiatthe  liilialiitantHralletl  tliem  liaeealai, 
he  ealleil  tliat  tlie  eonntry  of  the  Kaeealai  (or  roiltlNh'.').  He  had  a  little  iiiter- 
I'oiirKe  with  tiioxe  inhaliitant.H,  wlioni  he  fonnii  to  Ih-  fairly  intelligent  and  wlio 
I'liveieil  their  whole  lioily  witli  Hidnx  of  dill'ereiit  aniiiialH.  In  tliat  |ilare,  ami  for 
the  leHl  of  the  voya^fe,  wliii'h  he  made  aionu:  that  I'oaNt  toward  the  weHt,  he  Maid 
tliat  he  foiinil  the  water  alwayH  ran  towanl  the  weHt,  toward  tlie  Kulf  that  tlie 
luainiaiiil  Ih  Naid  to  make  tliere.  We  must  not  omit  a  H|iort  whieh  SeiiaNtian 
raliot  Ha  id  he  liaii  Heeii  together  uitii  Imh  whole  i'i>in|iaiiy,  to  their  )i;reat  amiiNement, 
wiieii  tlie  niinieroiiN  liearn  that  are  found  in  tliat  I'lUintry  eoine  to  eateli  tiiene  liae 
laial  IIhIi  in  tliiH  way.  .Vil  alon^  tiie  Hliore  there  are  many  lar^ie  treeH  wlnme  leaven 
fail  down  into  the  sea, ami  tlie  llarealai  eoine  in  nlioalH  to  eat  tlieiii.  Tlie  lieaix,  wlio 
like  thene  IInIi  better  Mian  aiiythiii);  eiHe,  hide  theniHelves  ii|ioii  tlie  liankn,  and  when 
,1  lot  of  tlii'Me  HhIi,  wiiieli  are  very  larjje  ami  liave  tlie  a|i|ieanini'e  of  tnnnieH,  have 
ronie  near,  tliey  liaKh  into  tliewalerami  Heizeoneof  theni,Htiekini;theiri'lawHiiiider 
tlieir  HialoH  ho  an  imi  to  let  them  pi,  and  strive  to  dra^  them  on  to  tlie  Hhore.  lint 
tlie  llai  ralai,  wliieli  ale  very  Htriiii);,  niKli  aliiint  and  |iliiii);e  into  tile  sea,  no  tiiat,  as 
the  I  wo  creatiireH  are  fasteneii  tot;etiier,  it  in  very  i;reat  sport  to  see  tlieni,  now  one 
under  tlie  water  and  now  the  otiier  aliove,  splaHliiii);  the  water  in  the  air.  Knt  in 
llie  end  the  hear  ilraKS  the  liaeeaiao  to  the  Hhore,  wliere  lie  eatH  it.  Tiiis  In  tliou(;lit 
lo  lie  the  reaHiin  why  Hiieli  a  lur^e  mimlier  of  hearft  do  not  make  any  troulile  for  the 
people  of  the  nniiitry." 

(totnaia  in  IfiTc',  llislnrin  i/nn'riil  ilr  Inn  liiiliiin,  eap.  X\XIX,,aiid  Oalvano  in 
I."*!.),  Triiluilii  </(■  liitlns  on  ili'sviihriineiiloH,  I.  25.  or  pp.  KT-Klt  of  the  Hakhiyt  Hoeiety, 
isii'.',  edition,  rei'iinled  the  main  faetK  reKariliiif;  this  voyage,  liiit  without  ^IvinK  any 
additioiiai  details,  uxeept  the  degree  of  north  latitude,  whiub  they  state  wan  M-' 
or  «'". 


f, 


mmm 


ii' 


to 

ItiirlmnHW  part**"  of  tln'  iirw  world  "from  whonro  lio  wa* 
rv\niUM  with  Ih<>  in  tli«>  iiioiioth  of  .Inly."' 

SobMstiiin  CalHit  iiiav  liavi*  made  anotlit'i*  aU^Miipt,  lM>.si<|» 
the  voya^t*  of  l'iOH-i(,  to  Hiul  a  way  tliroiigli  tliv  noithorii 
seas.  In  a  htttor  to  Kaniusio,  ('abot  nitMitioned  tin*  fact 
tliat  lit'  had  on«'('  sailt^d  for  a  lon^  tinu*  wont  and  north, 
until  III*  n>iu'h<>d  latitudt^  (i7}°  noith  on  .hin«>  II.  Tin*  s«!a 
was  still  open  Ix^forc  him,  and  there  seemed  to  he  nothing; 
to  prevent  him  from  proeeedinj;  onward  to  Oathay,  when 
he  was  for«-ed  to  stop  an<l  turn  liaek  on  aeeount  of  somo 
trouble  with  the  sliip>mi4ster  and  nnitinous  sailors.* 
Tht^re  are  two  other  aecoiuits  of  an  Knglish  aretie  voyage 
made  during  the  early  years  of  the  sixteenth  century,  which 
was  interfered  with  by  a  nuitiny  of  seanuMi.  One  is  in  the 
fasrinatin;;  "  Interlude  of  the  iiii.  KlemontM,"  in  which  the 
author,  Kastell,  (h'scribin^  Ameri<'a,  tells  how 

Itut  yet  not.  longe  a  go 

Some  men  of  thin  contrey  went 

Hy  the  KyiiKea  noble  consent 

It  for  to  nerche  to  thstenteui 

And  coude  not  be  hrouKht  therto. 

Hnt  tbejr  thai  were  the  ventereH 

liaue  cause  to  curoe  their  marynerit 

KaU  of  promyH  and  dlsaemblers 

That  falxly  then*  betrayed. 

Which  wold  take  nu  palne  to  Halle  farther 

Than  their  own  lyMt  and  plnaHure."^ 

The  ttthcr  is  in  Kden's  dedicatory  epistle  to  his  translation 
of  Muiister's  TrealifHe  of  the  Xew^^  India, — London,  15.'>3, 
where  he  r(>iuarks  that  "  manlye  c(mrage,  yf  it  had  not 
been  watiiig  in  others,  at  suche  time  as  our  .souereipie 
L(»rd  of  noble  niemorie,  Kin^e  Henry  the  VIII.  about  the 


'  ■■  llyi^lmrile  Kilen  t<)  the  reader  "  on  I.  «<(/.  ej.,  in  liU  traiiNlatiitn  of  Murtyr'H 
DfiinlfH  iif  thr  Spwi'  Wurlile, — Loudon,  ISBS. 

"•  Coiue  mi  fii  Hcritto,  icia  luoiti  anni  iiono,  ilal  HiKUor  SelNuttian  Oalxitto,"  in  tlie 
Itreliniinury  illMtoiirHe  tii  Itamnsio'H  Ti-rxo  )'o/r»tf  ilellr  Xai'lf/atliml  et  yi(tif(fl,— 
Vfiietid,  iriwi,  1.  4. 

'  I'rintud  iiroUilily  Itetween  IMU  and  102)),  anil  reprinted  in  I><Hliiley'H  Olil  Kiii/tlah 
I'liiyn,  Huzlil t'M  edition,  I. ,l-«),  and  liy  the  l'er«'y8<R-iety.-i.»»(/»(i,ll«4M,  vol.  XXII., 
PI).  '.'8-33. 


y 


I 


4irt  of  Murtyr'H 


m 

HHiiir  vcff  of  liih  mvgiir,  t'lii'iiiNlird  i^  .sent  I'nrth  ccilcii 
.•«lii|tp(<H  iiii<i<«r  tlio  f;oii«*niMiinc(i  uf  SplNiHtinii  Cahot  vrt 
lining,  t!ic  oiii>  Hvr  TIioiiihh  I*(>rto,  wlioHn  t'uvtit  Ii<>iii1  whm 
tilt*  niii.s«>  that  that  \\«i^v  tokn  iintin  (•tfoi't."  ThiH  paHsa^o 
sii^r;;i«Kts  Koh«>i-t  Thonic's  stati^iiuMit,  ill  cotiiHtctioii  with 
x()iii«>  ailviMitiit'o  of  tlit>  two  old  Hrirttol  iiHM'rliantN,  Imh 
talJK't'  and  \\\\^\  Kliot,  that  "if  tho  niarrinoi's  woiiitlc  tiiiMi 
haiif  Ikm'ii  i'iiIihI,  and  lolowcd  th«>ir  pihits  mind,  tlic  landH 
of  tlir  wcHt  IndicN,  froiii  whunct^  all  tho  jj;old  conuiirth,  had 
Ih'mi  ouiv."  ' 

In  1/)I2  Soltastiati  ('ultot  h*ft  Kii^dand  and  (Mitctvd  th(> 
.sorvir*'  of  tin-  Kin;;  <»f  Spain.  TIhto  Ih'  continued  for 
thirty-Hv«i  yrarH,  <>njoyin^,  ho  far  an  the  extant  evidence 
showM,  tlie  iinlirolieti  citiiHdence  of  tliONe  in  supreme 
authority  in  the  Sitatiish  empire.  In  lAHO  their  faith  in 
him  waH  t^^sted  to  the  lireakin^  point,  after  his  return  fniiii 
La  Plata,  wliither  he  had  ctmdiict^d  a  costly  e.\|>edition 
wliich  ended  in  complete  disaster.  A  liitt^^r  attempt  was 
made  to  ruin  him,  and  he  suffered  legal  condemnation  for 

'  ••'roiii  tli«  '•  BtMik  "  or  lett«r  written  l)y  Thnnie  in  Neville  HiMiiit  1827,  anil  |irinl«il 
in  Hiilclnyt'N  IHirrn  I  iijiiifirH,—l,iiiiilini,  IRH2.  HhorUy  liefore  the  ilate  of  tin-  letter, 
Thiirne  hail  Kent  two  iif  hlR  a|{entK  on  one  of  the  vemielH  whieh  arroni|ianieil  Seliaw- 
tiaii  ChImiI  on  hlK  iinliirky  ex|ieilition  to  I^a  I'lata,  towaril  the  ex|ienteNor  whii'h 
'riiiinii'  unil  hJN  partnerH  niaile  a  iMinniileralile  eontrilMitioii. 

No  I'linvinrinK  inilieatlon  of  the  date  of  thiH  voyage  hag  yet  Iteen  iliscovereil. 
chiiiiveton,  att  |iri'vloiii*ly  noteil,  tellH  of  a  voyaffe  by  <'alMit  to  Hi '  north  in  inn'.  The 
ilute  IMT  wiiiilii  m-eni  at  tlrot  thouKht  to  lie  iinplieil  by  Kilen'fi  "  Klnx  Henry  the 
VIII.,nlHiut  the  Hame  year  of  hlH  rei)en."  were  it  not  that  Kiiiiarii  Kilen  whh  fur 
tiHi  Hi'riiiiiM  iinil  Umi  HenHilile  a  Htuilent  to  Jniticle  with  woriiii  in  the  fuHliion  neeileil 
to  olitaiii  the  eiithth  year  of  Henry  VIII.  There  are  many  reaHonN  for  liimlitinK  the 
|iiiNMiliility  of  un  KnicliHh  viiyai;e  havinic  lieen  niaile  in  IBIT  liy  Sehaiitian  Caliot,  who 
hail  i-iitereil  the  oervire  of  the  S|iaiiiHh  uriiwn  live  yearH  earlier.  Mr.  llarriHHO  hiiH 
ilevoteil  much  Hkilfnl  renearch  to  provlni;  that  Sir  Thomas  Terte  or  S|iert  ronlil 
liarilly  liave  enKa^eil  in  any  voyage  away  from  Knglanil  at  that  time.  Dr.  Krrern 
III  Turin— an  Italian  Htnilent  who  is  iloing  Mome  very  excellent  work  in  the  line  of 
lieograiihiral  hintory -HUKgeNtH  with  a  giMiil  ileal  of  reawon  that  the  uIivIouh  inter- 
liretntlon  of  Kilen'it  statement  Ih  '•  ulMint  the  Itmt  year  of  Henry  VIII."  This  taken 
iiH  liai'k  to  150U-to,  anil  implle*  a  proltahle  connection  lietween  the  eventH  of  tlie 
nintinoiiH  voyage  anil  those  uf  the  icelierg  ex|ieilitinn  of  1G08-II.  An  open  sea  at 
•)'"  north  on  ,lune  11,  unil  iueliergs  in  .Inly  at  WK'  are  by  no  means  mulnally  Ini- 
liimsilile.  The  two  narratives  are,  however,  so  clearly  illstinct  in  nearly  every 
i'i'S|H><'t,  that  it  seems  mncli  safer  to  consider  them  as  referring  to  separate  ailveii- 
tiM'CH,  mill  to  confess  frankly  that  we  have  no  means  for  iletermining  the  ilate  of  the 
•liiiic  voyage  to  tIT' north,  nnlesH  we  accept  Chaiiveton's  15UT,  fur  which  the  most 
that  can  be  saiil  Is  that  It  has  nut  been  disproven. 


fl 


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1 

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I  : 


22 

his  sharp  in  tho  failure.  But  hv  was  iuiiiiP(1iat4>1y  rostoiwl 
to  his  position  at  tho  head  of  the  Spaniish  navigation 
bureau,  and  the  sentence  of  tenipomrv  hanishuK^nt,  which 
would  iiav«'  intei-fered  with  tlu'  pert'ornmnce  of  his  official 
iluties,  was  not  enforced.  Little  is  known  about  the 
details  of  his  career  (hu'in<r  the  next  few  years,  hut  that 
his  services  were  valued  hy  those  who  were  most  interested 
in  what  he  was  doing,  may  fairly  be  inferred  fr<)m  the 
fact  that  the  empt'ror  made  re|)eated  efforts  to  induce 
(^aitot  to  i-eturn,  after  he  retired  fifteen  years  later.  In 
l.')47  Sel>astian  ('abot  went  back  to  Kngland,  and  there  he 
assumed  a  position  of  influence,  which  he  retained  for  the 
next  ten  years,  as  the  recognized  leader  in  the  maritime 
affairs  of  the  kingdom.  He  inspired  and  supervised  the 
prej)arations  for  the  voyages  undertaken  by  ('han<-ellor, 
\Villoiighl»y  and  liiUTough,  who  opened  to  Kngland  the 
noi'thcastern  loute  to  the  markets  of  Russia.  Tiie  story 
of  these  voyages  is  told  in  many  books,  and  there  is  n<» 
occasion  for  repeating  the  details,  or  for  analyzing  the 
significance  of  facts  about  which  there  is  n(»  dispute. 
It  is  sufficient  if  the  prece<ling  pages  show  that  the 
story  of  the  Cabots  contains  some  elements  of  actual 
liiunan  interest,  and  that  what  they  did,  in  14!I7,  l.')())S, 
and  l.Ki;')-.").'),  justifies  the  reputation  which  .lohn  and 
Sebastian  Caltot  have  enjoyed  for  three  hun<1r<>d  years,  as 
two  of  the  most  eminent  of  Kngland's  sea-faring  nu-n. 


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1 


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V, 


V. 


